text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ns, tz=UTC] | source_domain string | group string | id string | in_blocksbin int64 | in_noblocksbin int64 | tag string | minhash_count string |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will announce new steps to address the rising price of gasoline.
The Biden administration will temporarily allow an ethanol blend to be sold during the summer.
E15 gasoline, which uses a 15% ethanol blend, is usually banned from being sold between June and September over concerns it adds smog in high temperatures.
Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol.
The Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow the widespread sale of E15.
The Biden administration says the move will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon at 2,300 gas stations.
AAA reports that as of Monday, the national average price of gas was $4.11 per gallon.
While it is down from last month’s high, it is considered a high price when compared to April of 2021, when gas was $2.86 per gallon.
The EPA also plans to facilitate the expanded use of E15, by making changes to E15 fuel pump labeling at gas stations. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/biden-administration-to-temporarily-allow-ethanol-blend-sales-to-lower-gas-prices | 2022-04-12T11:49:16Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/biden-administration-to-temporarily-allow-ethanol-blend-sales-to-lower-gas-prices | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Which portable computer monitor is best?
Portable computer monitors offer an excellent way for users to connect their laptops to a display, no matter where they are. However, ensuring you get one that works with your laptop’s hardware is vital. Portable computer monitors have different details worth looking out for, and you may need to prioritize things like size, connectivity and the display, depending on your usage.
If you’re in need of a reliable portable computer monitor, the ViewSonic 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor features a vivid display and connects via USB-C ports.
What to know before you buy a portable computer monitor
Use
How you plan to use your portable computer monitor will determine which model is best for you. While most portable monitors work well with a laptop, you can also find monitors that connect to other devices. In addition, if you plan on performing standard tasks that aren’t visually intensive, you can likely get away with a more basic monitor. However, if you want to play games or edit a lot of images or videos, you should get one with a higher refresh rate and full HD resolution.
Size
Portable monitors vary in size, but those made for connecting with laptops tend to fall between 12-17 inches. But depending on your monitor use, you may need a larger or smaller size. While smaller monitors tend to be even more portable, larger monitors afford more space for those who need to edit visual media, gaming, or other activities that work better on a larger display.
Portable monitors vs. regular monitors
Portable monitors often cost as much as regular low- and mid-range monitors, which surprises many people. Portable monitors must be super energy-efficient because they’re powered by USB. They’re also constrained by their smaller size, making it hard to fit as much hardware as in a regular-sized monitor.
What to look for in a quality portable computer monitor
Screen
Like regular monitors, portable monitors vary in overall color, size, resolution, refresh rate and additional features, like in-plane switching (IPS.) If you plan to use it for gaming, it’s crucial to find a portable monitor with a Full HD resolution of 1920 by 1080p and a refresh rate of at least 60 hertz. In addition, IPS can give colors a more authentic representation than displays without this feature.
Connectivity
One of the most critical factors of any monitor is how you connect it to your computer or device. Most portable screens now include USB-C ports that connect to other devices, while other monitors may have include different USB types, Mini HDMI or Mini Displayport.
Power
Portable computer monitors can get power in various ways. While premium monitors may include a built-in rechargeable battery, most options get power from the computer or from an AC adapter and wall outlet. If you need a particular type of power source for your monitor, it’s worth double-checking the listing before making a purchase.
How much you can expect to spend on a portable computer monitor
Cheap portable monitors without full HD screens can cost as little as $100. Most mid-tier and high-end portable monitors with full HD resolution range from $160-$300.
Portable computer monitor FAQ
Are portable computer monitors good for gaming?
A. While regular monitors pack a stronger punch due to their hardware and size, portable monitors are often a good solution for gaming on the go. Still, it’s essential to look for portable monitors with high refresh rates and a full HD resolution of at least 1920 by 1080p.
Can you use a portable computer monitor with a tablet?
A. Most portable monitors are designed for laptops, but you can also use them with tablets with the right hardware. Make sure you have the same connectivity options for your tablet and monitor; USB-C is the most common. Some Android tablets also have a Mini HDMI port, making them even easier to use as second monitors. Still, not every tablet supports this function, so it’s crucial to check the description.
What’s the best portable computer monitor to buy?
Top portable computer monitor
ViewSonic 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor With Full HD 1080p Display
What you need to know: This powerful portable monitor includes multiple connectivity options, a colorful low-latency display, a headphone port and built-in stereo speakers.
What you’ll love: The structure of this monitor includes a built-in stand and cover. The screen offers a 60-Hz refresh rate and 1920 by 1080p resolution. It includes two USB-C ports, so you can power it from a laptop or the AC adapter. It also has a Mini-HDMI port.
What you should consider: Some had a hard time dialing in this monitor’s color contrast.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top portable computer monitor for the money
Asus ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor With USB 3.0 And Mounts For Tripod
What you need to know: If you want a portable monitor that connects easily to a laptop, this features a USB 3.0 cable and is slim enough to pack for transit.
What you’ll love: The screen has a vivid display, a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a resolution of 1366 by 768p. It uses a USB-A to USB 3.0 cable for power and comes with a convenient stand, a protective sleeve and universal tripod mounts.
What you should consider: The USB 3.0 port is a lot less universal and practical than USB-A, USB-C or mini-HDMI ports.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Lepow 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor With Full HD 1080p Display and USB 3.0
What you need to know: This economy-level monitor boasts an impressive display with a high-dynamic range and a 15.6-inch screen. It offers a good balance between size and portability.
What you’ll love: This thin monitor weighs less than most and is just 0.3 inches wide. It has a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz and a resolution of 1920 by 1080p, with both USB-C and mini-HDMI ports.
What you should consider: This doesn’t include any audio options.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Peter McGuthrie writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wpri.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/computer-monitors-br/best-portable-computer-monitor/ | 2022-04-12T11:50:49Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/computer-monitors-br/best-portable-computer-monitor/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Deebo Samuel’s new contract ‘quandary’ for 49ers, Peter King believes
“I think the Niners are going to be in a quandary if Deebo Samuel insists on getting paid top of market, and getting paid now,” King wrote in his latest “Football Morning in America” column. “They might not be able to do that.”
“But his average receiving season over the past two years (55 catches, 898 yards) is dwarfed, for instance, by Diggs’ average over the past two years (115 catches, 1,380 yards). Even when adding in the run-game impact, the stats are iffy. But Samuel has to be thinking: If they’re going to ask me to take the beating a running back takes, while asking me to be the deep threat for a playoff team, that’s something you don’t measure in stats. Dealing with Samuel is going to test the will and negotiating skill of GM John Lynch.”
49ers add former Seahawks receiver, make 2 other roster moves
“The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have signed WR Marcus Johnson and WR Malik Turner to one-year deals. The team also released and re-signed DL Maurice Hurst to the same one-year deal he signed on March 10, 2022.”
49ers to host decorated pass rush prospect for pre-draft visit
“While he may not have the upside of a player that goes in the first round, Malone appears to have the tools to step in and contribute right away as a pro. San Francisco can afford to swing for some high upside players in this draft, but if they believe a player like Malone can step in and contribute right away on the edge, then it makes a ton of sense to bring him in and improve the most important defensive unit.”
49ers holding pre-draft meeting with Texas A&M S Leon O’Neal
“It’s not real complicated, I know I’m ready for the NFL,” O’Neal told Wilson. “I’m just going to come in and be who I am. I’m an enforcer. A lot of my game is based on how explosive I am with certain things in pursuit. I attack the ball. I’m always around the ball. Like Budda Baker, you can’t help but see him around the football. That’s how I approach the game.”
Matt Maiocco discusses Deebo Samuel situation after social media intrigue
“I think you start to lose faith of the fan base in the locker room if you’re in essence promising that guys will be around and then they’re not around,” Maiocco said. “So I still have a very difficult time believing that the organizational plan is to move on from Deebo Samuel.”
Lance working out with 49ers’ receivers minus Deebo in SoCal
“The coaching group focuses on fine tuning the biomechanics of a quarterback’s throwing movement using 3D motion analysis. They believe that the work will help a quarterback deliver the ball more accurately and efficiently. The group also focuses on three other main values: strength and conditioning, nutrition and the mental aspect of being a quarterback.”
“Reid calls [Center Cam] Jurgens “one of my favorite team-player fits” who could be a plug-and-play starter from the get-go. He believes “Jurgens’ gap-to-gap style is a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme.”
Latest PFF mock draft still has CB Martin Emerson going to the 49ers
“Emerson’s length also helps him at the catch point, as his 14 pass breakups since 2020 can attest,” added Treash. “While there’s some rightful concern about his athletic shortcomings, he understands the game, brings a physical presence and has strong production in college football’s most difficult conference. At the end of Round 2, that’s worth betting on.”
Mock Draft 2.0: Multiple trades help 49ers address several key needs
“Though he struggles with allowing some pass rushers to get into his frame, [Center Dylan] Parham can anchor down to counter the bull rush. He allowed ten pressures in 2021, two quarterback hits, eight hurries, and zero sacks. Parham can start day one but doesn’t have to. He would be the perfect replacement for the starting center Alex Mack.”
‘He’s into it’: Ex-49ers GMs laud Frank Gore’s ability to evaluate players (paywall)
“Standout players often are bad evaluators of their position, McCloughan said, because they expect so much and see only the negatives in prospects. But he has found Gore to strike a good balance when examining running backs.”
“After Kittle’s contract was finalized, his agent Jack Bechta openly discussed the contentious back-and-forth that preceded it. Bechta even dubbed the 49ers’ opening offer to Kittle “The Valentine’s Day Massacre.” There was talk of “nuclear options,” from a demand for a trade to an opt-out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns, that could’ve been used if the team didn’t significantly sweeten its offer.
In the end, Kittle and the 49ers struck a deal just before training camp — and the anatomy of its negotiations can serve as a helpful guidepost now that Samuel is in a process featuring similar parameters.”
“Six months later, on a scorching Friday afternoon nearly 500 miles to the north, Kittle signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension, completing an arduous and challenging — but ultimately gratifying — negotiation that cemented the former fifth-round draft pick’s ascent to the top of his profession. The previous night, Bechta had joined Kittle and family members for a modest celebration at the player’s apartment that included wine, hard cider and Panda Express takeout.” | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/12/23021561/49ers-news-deebo-samuel-contract-extension-social-media-george-kittle-bechta-john-lynch-money | 2022-04-12T11:58:41Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/12/23021561/49ers-news-deebo-samuel-contract-extension-social-media-george-kittle-bechta-john-lynch-money | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“I believe that a truly compelling poster has the power to change the world, or so I thought before Feb. 24, 2022,” writes Olga Severina, a Ukrainian-born exhibition curator, graphic designer and lecturer who has lived in Los Angeles since 2010. “Now I just dream that one day I will wake up and the war will end. This is my only dream.”
Severina writes that she thought she knew about the war. That was before the scenes coming from Bucha’s Month of Terror and more that has been recorded in real time.
“I was brought up reading about the Great War—the Second World War—watching movies about it, and listening to the stories about it from those who lived through it. But I only thought that I knew. As it turned out you cannot really know something until it touches you directly, until it affects your friends and your loved ones. And even now, when I talk to my friends every day, after I hear all of their stories about this war, even now I can’t fully grasp the harrowing truth about what the war truly is.”
Severina is organizing poster and graphic art shows at the Helms Design Center in Los Angeles in collaboration with colleagues and friends Angela Anthony and Frances Anderton, “who called me immediately, as this war started, wanting to meet and asking me about what and how they can help.”
During COVID, Helms Design Center hosted poster shows and exhibits promoting local artists and supporting creative community. Now, Helms Design Center, together with PosterTerritory, is adopting a new exhibition format called “Projecting Possibilities.”
At the gallery, visitors can see artworks from the “Stand with Ukraine” poster call launched by the Ukrainian Designers Association The 4th Block. The graphics are about war and love, with words of hope and pain felt by the participants. “Our team is from different countries, but we are all connected by our love of people who are now hiding in bomb shelters in cities, towns and villages all over Ukraine,” says Severina, who declares: “We are creatives standing with Ukraine!” | https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-opening-doors-to-the-ukraine/ | 2022-04-12T12:10:28Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-opening-doors-to-the-ukraine/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aerial photography is remarkable for capturing the striking patterns and captivating natural hues hidden within our everyday world. Photographer Mitch Rouse presents a stunning example of the form in “POOLS,” a series depicting water from above. The result is a colorful, breathtaking collection that will make you wonder how else the world looks from different viewpoints.
Project Credits:
Mitch Rouse
Purchase Images Here | https://www.printmag.com/photography-and-design/see-the-world-from-a-different-perspective-with-mitch-rouses-aerial-photos/ | 2022-04-12T12:10:34Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/photography-and-design/see-the-world-from-a-different-perspective-with-mitch-rouses-aerial-photos/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday announced that Bode Technology, a Fairfax-based provider of forensic services, will invest $2 million to expand its DNA testing services lab in Fairfax County.
In response to customer demand, the company will hire additional senior and entry-level laboratory technicians, forensic science professionals, and other business support roles, creating more than 70 new jobs.
“We are proud to have this innovative, Virginia-founded business and congratulate Bode Technology on its continued growth in Fairfax County,” said Youngkin said in a news release. “Biotechnology is evolving rapidly in the 21st century and leading firms like Bode help drive the Commonwealth’s position as a leader in this vital sector. We look forward to continuing to see the company’s impact and thank Bode Technology for its confidence in Virginia.”
Based in Lorton, Bode Technology operates private forensic DNA laboratories and provides state-of-the-art forensic DNA collection products, DNA analysis services, and research services to law enforcement, the justice system, and other government agencies around the world.
Bode Technology’s forensic DNA experts have assisted in identifying criminals in every state in the U.S., as well as victims of war, terrorism, crime, and natural disasters, including the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, the conflicts in Cyprus, and the remains of U.S. soldiers dating back to World War II.
To fulfill its mission to create a safer society through the use of forensic science, the company helped to eliminate Virginia’s statewide backlog of 2,665 untested sexual assault kits, providing closure to countless victims of sexual assault and providing investigative leads to law enforcement in hundreds of cases.
Earlier this year, Bode Technology assisted the Fairfax County Police Department in the identification of two victims of a suspected serial killer dubbed the ‘Shopping Cart Killer.’
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to secure the project for Virginia and will support Bode’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities.
As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/forensic-services-provider-bode-technology-expanding-in-fairfax/article_cb2c732c-ba10-11ec-88a8-df2a25f822cb.html | 2022-04-12T12:12:25Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/forensic-services-provider-bode-technology-expanding-in-fairfax/article_cb2c732c-ba10-11ec-88a8-df2a25f822cb.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kem arrives at the Fox Theatre 6.5 hours before the show starts.
The temperatures are in the mid-40s and snow flurries have even been spotted around the city, an anomaly for the South’s capital of Atlanta in April.
It’s the second and final night in the city for the R&B artist, who has the legendary songwriter and artist Babyface opening for him, on the Full Circle Tour. At soundcheck, he allows one of his young children to sing on the microphone passionately, projecting a mixture of English and made-up words through the speakers of the venue.
After an hour of light rehearsal, Kem heads back up three flights of stairs and goes into his dressing room. He spends a few moments with his family before the media are allowed him in and speak to him. Kem politely introduces himself to everyone in the room and offers them water or a snack. The conversation drifts from pitching story ideas to discussing different perspectives on current events in pop culture like the world’s reaction to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. After another hour of speaking, the media is politely escorted out as only a couple of hours remain until showtime.
Approximately two hours before doors open, Kem’s daughter Tori Owens hosts a fan Q-and-A session for VIP purchasers.
“That’s my daughter,” Kem announces with pride and a smile. “Everybody in our house is working.”
As comedian Sherri Shepherd opens the night a little after 8 p.m., Babyface graces the stage and seamlessly runs through the hits he performed and wrote in an hour-long medley of history as celebrities like Eva Marcille and Kandi Burruss look on from the audience.
As Babyface runs through his set, Kem is locking in back in his dressing room. He stirs up tea as there’s a spread of fruits and vegetables and bottled waters available for him on the tables. A candle is lit as his black and white boots lie on the floor. He admitted he has a stylist, but he still picks the exact outfit he wants out of a handful of choices. Fashion is something he’s always wanted to make sure was on point, as he didn’t grow up with the ability to afford many clothing options.
He talks to his wife, Erica Owens, whom he said he met in 2015 at the same Fox Theatre he was preparing to sing in again.
“My wife is my biggest inspiration,” he said. “Somebody get that on tape and send it to me.”
Backstage turns into a frantic transition area for Babyface’s band heading back to the dressing rooms as Kem’s band prepares to take the stage. The production team, makes sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is in attendance. Kem shows up, gathers everyone for a quick prayer and hugs his loved ones one last time before hitting the stage. He brings his trademark confident strut into the spotlight, welcomed by the roar of the crowd, as the set opens with “Love Calls” and ends with “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” The visual effects between the two iconic singles line up perfectly with his life story and journey with love and how it presents itself today in his life as a present father and husband.
After the show, Kem’s band celebrates another successful performance and Kem returns to thank individuals who took the time out to enjoy the experience. In a few more days, he heads an hour west to perform in Columbus, Georgia before hitting Jackson, Mississippi and the rest of America. | https://rollingout.com/2022/04/12/a-9-hour-all-access-look-at-kems-atlanta-full-circle-tour-stop/ | 2022-04-12T12:16:46Z | rollingout.com | control | https://rollingout.com/2022/04/12/a-9-hour-all-access-look-at-kems-atlanta-full-circle-tour-stop/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Americans have been living with soaring prices for months. New inflation data set to be released Tuesday is expected to show that March marked yet another multi-decade high.
Having already hit 7.9% in February, economists are hopeful that rampant inflation peaked in the first quarter. But there's plenty that will keep prices elevated for the rest of the year, and consumers are concerned. Even as the Federal Reserve has started to tighten monetary policy to get inflation under control, prices are still rising.
A year from now, consumers expect inflation to stand at 6.6%, according to the New York Fed's Survey of Consumer Expectations. That was a new high for the survey and up significantly from 6% in February.
The reading comes as the war in Ukraine drives up prices for energy and agricultural commodities.
To keep up with rising prices, Americans also expect their household spending to rise in the year to come, the survey found. Spending expectations rose to 7.7%, also a new high for the New York Fed's survey and the biggest one-month jump since the series began in 2013.
Economists polled by Refinitiv predict the Consumer Price Index for March to hit 8.4%, which would match the level from January 1982 and mark a fresh 40-year high.
Whether that's really the inflation peak remains to be seen, as the Ukraine conflict continues to add price pressure. Americans faced soaring prices at the pump in March, while food inflation is expected to stay elevated throughout the year.
So what to do?
The Fed has already started to roll back its pandemic stimulus, including raising interest rates last month for the first time since 2018. The central bank is expected to keep hiking rates this year to get inflation under control.
Market expectations for a rare half-percentage point increase at the Fed's next meeting, in early May, are above 80%.
But there are concerns that the Fed's actions could do more harm than good.
"If the Fed decides to bring 8% inflation down to their [roughly] 2% target on their own, that's tough to do without causing a recession," said strategists at Baird Private Wealth Management. Analysts at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs have already warned that the Fed's attempts at a soft landing could end up pulling the economy into a recession.
Russia rejects 'default' as it tries to pay in rubles
Bills are coming due, putting Russia on course for its first foreign debt default in a century.
On Friday, ratings agency S&P said Moscow offered bondholders payments in rubles, not dollars, which amounts to a "selective default." In other words, investors likely won't be able to convert those rubles into dollars equivalent to the outstanding amounts, which means even though Russia is paying, it is defaulting on its obligations.
Here's where it's a bit murky: Moscow has a grace period of 30 days, beginning April 4, to make the payments of capital and interest. That will be difficult to do under Western sanctions.
To be sure, Russia has the money. It just can't access a bunch of it.
Since 2014, the Kremlin has built up about $640 billion in foreign reserves. More than half of those funds are now frozen under Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's planning to dispute the "default" label, though it's not clear how.
"We will sue, because we undertook all necessary action so that investors would receive their payments," Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper on Monday.
"We will show the court proof of our payments, to confirm our efforts to pay in rubles, just as we did in foreign currency. It won't be a simple process," he added. He did not say whom Russia planned to sue.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a press conference last week that any default would be "artificial" because Russia has the dollars to pay — it just can't access them.
"There are no grounds for a real default," Peskov said. "Not even close."
Musk's Twitter U-turn
The saga has been downright dizzying.
After a whirlwind week in which Twitter announced that Elon Musk had become its biggest shareholder and would join its board, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said Sunday night that Musk wouldn't become a director after all.
These are stunning developments even for Twitter, a company that is certainly no stranger to corporate chaos, my colleague Clare Duffy writes. And it could be the start of many headaches to come for its relatively new chief executive.
Musk still has his 9.2% stake and more than 80 million followers on the platform. In other words, he may be saying no to the board seat but he's almost certainly not done trying to shake up Twitter.
Some analysts expect Musk to try to buy up even more of the company's shares, now that he's untethered by the board's stipulation that he cap his ownership at 14.9%. If Agrawal has thus far been dealing with a friendly Musk, one can only imagine what a hostile approach would look like.
In an investor note Monday, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives laid out a few possible scenarios for Musk's next steps, including joining up with a private equity partner to force changes or even to orchestrate a takeover. Or, Musk could simply go on "creating more noise and angst for Twitter Board/execs."
At the end of the day, Musk is a wild card and he's now a force powerful enough to undermine Agrawal's leadership just as he's taken over.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/did-us-inflation-peak-in-march-americans-are-concerned/article_f0c43a8e-ba56-11ec-b222-6b93b84fd0d0.html | 2022-04-12T12:21:42Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/did-us-inflation-peak-in-march-americans-are-concerned/article_f0c43a8e-ba56-11ec-b222-6b93b84fd0d0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A jury in Washington, DC, on Monday found an ex-Virginia police officer guilty on all six charges he faced for his actions around the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
Thomas Robertson, a former sergeant of the Rocky Mount police in Virginia, faced charges including impeding law enforcement officers, obstructing an official proceeding, entering and remaining in restricted grounds and tampering with evidence.
The jury heard from multiple witness during the trial last week, including Washington police officers who were there during the attack, federal agents and Robertson's former police colleague and co-defendant who testified as part of a plea deal with the government.
One juror told CNN that "there was debate on every charge" while the jury deliberated for around 13 hours.
"I was encouraged," the juror told CNN following the verdict. "Being a jury of Washingtonians in a January 6 case, it would be natural to wonder what bias is in the jury. And I really feel like it was so thorough, thoughtful and painstaking."
A sentencing date has not been set.
During the trial, a DC Metropolitan Police officer testified that a man carrying a stick, who prosecutors say was Robertson, hit him and another officer as they tried to pass through the mob of rioters during the attack. Prosecutors played several clips of the incident, including footage from police body cameras worn that day.
Prosecutors cited online posts Robertson allegedly wrote a month before the attack where he called for an "opened armed rebellion."
"The defendant made good on that promise," assistant US attorney Elizabeth Aloi told the jury during opening arguments, saying that Robertson used a large stick to impede officers who were called in as back up during the riot.
Robertson's former Rocky Mount police colleague Jacob Fracker testified that Robertson joined him inside the Capitol, took a photo with him and joined in chanting and cheering with the crowd inside. Fracker also testified that he had given Robertson his cell phone after the pair were told to turn themselves in, and that Robertson had put the phone in a container for ammunition and told him something to the effect of "problem solved."
According to the FBI agent Kathryn Camilleri, who investigated the two men, both Robertson and Fracker activated new phones in the days following the riot.
In closing arguments Friday, Robertson's attorneys argued that he had "no plans to go down and say 'I'm going to stop Congress from doing this vote'" and continued to suggest that the stick Robertson had with him was simply a walking stick.
Robertson has been awaiting his trial in jail since July, after investigators said they found a rifle and bomb-making material in his home and learned that he bought another 37 guns on the internet after his original arrest in January 2021.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/former-virginia-police-officer-who-stormed-us-capitol-found-guilty-on-all-charges/article_dfa44a86-ba4d-11ec-adee-17f6d6eb0df5.html | 2022-04-12T12:22:00Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/former-virginia-police-officer-who-stormed-us-capitol-found-guilty-on-all-charges/article_dfa44a86-ba4d-11ec-adee-17f6d6eb0df5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
STURBRIDGE, Mass. (WWLP) – Traffic is being delayed in the area of Exit 6 on I-84 eastbound in Sturbridge Tuesday morning.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), all eastbound lanes are closed as of 8:20 a.m. due to a tractor-trailer rollover. Traffic is being detoured to Route 20.
MAP: I-84 in Sturbridge
MassDOT is asking drivers to avoid the area if possible. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/traffic/tractor-trailer-rollover-on-i-84-in-sturbridge/ | 2022-04-12T12:36:59Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/traffic/tractor-trailer-rollover-on-i-84-in-sturbridge/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Girl, 17, critically wounded in shooting near Chicago State University
CHICAGO - A teenager was shot and critically wounded Monday night while driving near Chicago State University in the Burnside neighborhood.
The 17-year-old was driving in the 600 block of East 95th Street around 8:21 p.m. when a dark vehicle approached and someone inside started shooting in her direction, police said.
She was shot in the head and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was listed in critical condition, police said.
No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate.
Advertisement | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/girl-critically-wounded-shooting-chicago-state-university | 2022-04-12T12:40:43Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/girl-critically-wounded-shooting-chicago-state-university | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Rejoice in today's 70-degree weather because severe storms are just around the corner
CHICAGO - The weather should be just fine for the White Sox home opener. Vince Velasquez starting? That’s a whole different story. But I digress…
Look for sunshine this morning yielding to more clouds this afternoon but not enough to prevent a nice run-up in temperatures.
I think 70 degrees is attainable away from the influence of winds off the lake.
Tonight will be cloudier and there could be a few showers but thunder is not likely.
DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 WEATHER APP
Then, there’s tomorrow. It still looks like strong-to-severe storms will occur here.
There should be an initial salvo of sub-severe activity in the morning. If those storms linger longer, it would impact the next and potentially stronger round of storms slated for the afternoon and evening.
If there is a trend in the forecast models it is for an earlier arrival of the stronger storms. Damaging straight-line winds are still the primary threat but all severe thunderstorm hazards are possible.
The best estimate for timing now is 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the action. Behind the storms, winds will be very strong and a wind advisory may be needed for Thursday as cooler air drills in.
Advertisement
Speaking of cooler, prepare for at least a week of chill (by April standards) and there could even be some snow mixing in with rain showers Easter night or Monday. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/highs-could-hit-70-degrees-today-for-white-sox-home-opener | 2022-04-12T12:40:49Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/highs-could-hit-70-degrees-today-for-white-sox-home-opener | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Illinois woman charged after gun goes off while being arrested by Chicago police
CHICAGO - A Decatur woman is facing multiple charges after her gun fired as she was being taken into custody Monday morning in the South Shore neighborhood.
Police responded to a call of a person with a gun around 8:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of East 67th Street.
When they arrived, police attempted to take 22-year-old Ania Ramsey into custody when her gun fired, according to CPD.
No one was struck by the gunfire.
Ramsey was arrested and charged with two counts of unlawful use of weapon by a felon, two counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Advertisement
She is due in court Tuesday. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-woman-charged-gun-goes-off-arrested-by-chicago-police | 2022-04-12T12:40:55Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-woman-charged-gun-goes-off-arrested-by-chicago-police | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Illinois woman charged after gun goes off while being arrested by Chicago police
CHICAGO - A Decatur woman is facing multiple charges after her gun fired as she was being taken into custody Monday morning in the South Shore neighborhood.
Police responded to a call of a person with a gun around 8:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of East 67th Street.
When they arrived, police attempted to take 22-year-old Ania Ramsey into custody when her gun fired, according to CPD.
No one was struck by the gunfire.
Ramsey was arrested and charged with two counts of unlawful use of weapon by a felon, two counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Advertisement
She is due in court Tuesday. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-woman-charged-gun-goes-off-arrested-by-chicago-police | 2022-04-12T12:40:55Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-woman-charged-gun-goes-off-arrested-by-chicago-police | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A man and woman who were found dead in a tattoo shop in Canterbury yesterday evening (April 11) have been named as Catalin Micu and Ramona Stoia. Emergency services swarmed Lower Bridge Street after a report of two people found with injuries at GothInk Studio at around 5.20pm.
The Romanian couple both worked in the popular city centre tattoo and piercing shop, which Ramona owned. Kent Police confirmed a 35 year-old woman and 54-year-old man had been declared dead at the scene.
Eyewitnesses in the area reported seeing at least eight police vehicles and four ambulances with a helicopter and armed police also attending. Pictures from the scene also showed forensic investigators in white uniforms with equipment, gathering evidence.
Read more: Two men charged after stabbing puts victim in hospital
The circumstances of their deaths are still under investigation but Kent Police have said "officers are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation". A Kent Police spokesman said: "Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate are investigating the deaths of two people in Canterbury.
"At 5.19pm on Monday 11 April 2022, officers attended an address in Lower Bridge Street, where a 54-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, who were known to each other, were pronounced deceased at the scene. Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing. However, officers are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation."
The road and surrounding area remained cordoned off until the early hours of this morning. Tarpaulin and police tape remains in place today (April 12) at the shop, which sits between Oriental Grocers and Smart Nails.
Find out how you can get more breaking news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/canterbury-couple-found-dead-gothink-6941784 | 2022-04-12T12:46:32Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/canterbury-couple-found-dead-gothink-6941784 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Two men have been charged after stabbing in the centre of Canterbury. At just before 10pm on Saturday (April 9 April) a man was reportedly assaulted by a group of men in Canterbury Lane.
The victim was found with stab wounds. He had to be taken to a local hospital, from where he was later discharged.
Officers investigating a serious assault, in later stopped two men who were travelling on a train through Ashford and a knife was seized.
Read more: Police investigation after man and woman found dead in Canterbury tattoo shop
Troy Reid, 19, of Bellenden Road, Peckham, south London, has been charged with possession of a bladed article, possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.
Ramone Thompson, 22, of Peckham Rye, Peckham, south London, has also been charged with possession of a bladed article.
Both men appeared before Folkestone Magistrates' Court on Monday 11 April 2022 and were remanded in custody. The case will next be heard at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday 9 May.
Kent Police are continuing to investigate the stabbing in Canterbury Lane are ongoing and officers are continuing to appeal to any witnesses who saw the incident, or anyone with information, to come forward.
Anyone who can assist the investigation is urged to contact Kent Police on 01843 222289, quoting 46/66420/22. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111 or using the online form on their website.
Find out how you can get more news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE . | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/canterbury-stabbing-puts-man-hospital-6941527 | 2022-04-12T12:46:36Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/canterbury-stabbing-puts-man-hospital-6941527 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Maidstone Road Surgery in Chatham has been rated "requires improvement" by inspectors from care watchdog the Care Quality Commission. The GP surgery in Maidstone Road was rated "good" for its services being caring and for being responsive.
But for services being safe, effective, and well-led, it scored a "requires improvement" for each. Inspectors found staff treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect" and "the practice respected patients’ privacy and dignity".
The report from the inspection also found there was "compassionate and inclusive leadership at all levels" and "the provider learned and made improvements when things went wrong". It said staff had the "skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their role" and there were "appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene".
However, the report said: "Patients’ needs were not always assessed, and care as well as treatment was not always delivered in line with current legislation, standards and evidence-based guidance. The provider’s processes for managing risks, issues and performance were not always effective."
Read more: Harsh reality of making ends meet in Medway's most deprived area as cost of living soars
The surgery has a patient population of around 3,300. The surgery was inspected on February 25, and the report published on March 31. Inspectors said the surgery did not have processes in place which would "assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided". Clinical audits, which is a way to find out if healthcare is being provided in line with standards, were "limited", said inspectors.
The review of patients with some long-term conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension, was not always in line with best practice. The report also said: "The provider was unable to demonstrate they had fully taken into consideration and mitigated risks from not having an in-depth fire risk assessment. One staff member did not receive fire marshal training.
"There was ineffective management in relation to medicine safety alerts, medicines that required refrigeration and the prescribing of some high-risk medicines." Maidstone Road Surgery was given requirement notices by the CQC which states what action must be taken.
Find out how you can get more CQC inspection news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE . | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/maidstone-road-surgery-chatham-ordered-6937603 | 2022-04-12T12:46:37Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/maidstone-road-surgery-chatham-ordered-6937603 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inflation surges to 8.5%, highest in over 40 years
Inflation surged again in March, as consumer prices hit yet another fresh peak not seen in a generation.
Why it matters: The relentless rise in prices is a challenge for investors, Federal Reserve policy makers and politicians, who are all trying to navigate an inflationary backdrop that hasn't been seen since the early 1980s.
Driving the news: The consumer price index rose 1.2% in March compared to February, above economists expectations for 1.1%.
- Prices were up 8.5% over the last year, higher than the 8.4% rise that economists expected, according to consensus expectations reported by FactSet.
- That's the highest annual rate of inflation since December 1981. | https://www.axios.com/inflation-surges-march-6edc4545-094c-44c0-a14c-7f3dc77550f3.html | 2022-04-12T12:47:39Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/inflation-surges-march-6edc4545-094c-44c0-a14c-7f3dc77550f3.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Report: Plano is the healthiest city in North Texas
Plano is the 33rd healthiest city in America and the healthiest city in North Texas, according to a new report by the finance website WalletHub.
Why it matters: North Texas — and Dallas in particular — has long struggled to promote traditional routes to wellness, including walkable streets, access to healthy food and recreational areas.
- The report compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across four key dimensions: health care, food, fitness and green space.
By the numbers: Plano is the only place in North Texas to crack the top 100 healthiest cities, per this new ranking. Dallas came in at 107, several spots behind Houston and San Antonio.
- Fort Worth is 133rd.
- Arlington, Irving, Garland and Grand Prairie are all clustered between 147 and 151 on the list.
- Austin is ranked 7th overall.
Zoom in: Plano also ranked second in the country in terms of lowest medical bills, though the site didn't mention where that information came from.
Our thought bubble: No, WalletHub isn't a great source for anything medical, but more than two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our region could be doing a lot more to improve the physical and mental well-being of its citizens.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas.
More Dallas stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Dallas. | https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/04/12/report-plano-healthiest-city-north-texas | 2022-04-12T12:48:19Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/04/12/report-plano-healthiest-city-north-texas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
First bite: Casa Cancun Mexican Bar & Grill in Des Moines
A new Des Moines restaurant serving Latin American cuisine caught my attention last week because it looked charming in the night's light.
State of play: Casa Cancun Mexican Bar & Grill is Jose Gonzalez's first restaurant.
- He moved to the U.S. from Venezuela about six years ago and has worked in Mexican restaurants most of that time.
What I ate: Hallacas, a Venezuelan tamal ($13). Corn masa dough is stuffed with beef, pork, chicken, raisins and olives, and then wrapped in banana leaves.
- I ordered a side of beans, which came with bits of ham and bacon.
My thoughts: It was simply delicious.
Open: Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 10:30am-11pm; Sunday, 10:30am-9pm.
- 1951 Indianola Ave., where the former Strudl Haus restaurant was located.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Des Moines.
More Des Moines stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Des Moines. | https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2022/04/12/casa-cancun-bar-grill-des-moines-review | 2022-04-12T12:48:25Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2022/04/12/casa-cancun-bar-grill-des-moines-review | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
District 5 candidates announce fundraising numbers
Morgan Ortagus has raised nearly $600,000 in her bid for the new District 5 congressional seat, her campaign announced on Monday.
- Ortagus, endorsed by former President Trump, now has more than $500,000 on hand.
Why it matters: The unprecedented Republican primary will position whoever emerges from the crowded field as the favorite in the November election to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, who is retiring.
- The early days of the campaign have been a fundraising free-for-all, though some top candidates, like Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, have just recently entered the race.
By the numbers: Attorney and retired National Guard Brig. Gen. Kurt Winstead also boasts strong numbers, bringing in more than $520,000 for the fundraising period ending March 31, his campaign said.
- Winstead has more than $1 million on hand, according to a press release.
- Beth Harwell, the former Speaker of the House who entered the race Feb. 24, raised nearly $350,000, according to her campaign.
- Detailed reports for all District 5 candidates are not yet public.
Yes, but: The question of if some candidates will even be able to run for the seat still hangs in the balance. The legislature passed a bill requiring congressional candidates to have lived in Tennessee for at least three years before running — a provision that would affect Ortagus' candidacy.
- The legislation awaits Gov. Bill Lee's signature. His spokesperson told Axios Monday that the administration is "still reviewing the legislation at this time."
- A lawsuit has also been filed by a political action committee challenging the legality of the legislation.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nashville.
More Nashville stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Nashville. | https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/04/12/district-5-candidates-fundraising-numbers | 2022-04-12T12:48:45Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/04/12/district-5-candidates-fundraising-numbers | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Joey's House of Pizza closes after more than 20 years in business
Joey's House of Pizza, which developed a devoted fan base after more than 20 years in business, has closed its doors.
- The Nashville mainstay announced its sudden departure in a handwritten note on Facebook.
Why it matters: Restaurants have become symbolic of a changing Nashville, with old favorites fading away as the region continues to attract new arrivals and big business.
- Joey's closure is certain to reignite a familiar debate over the city's evolution.
What they're saying: "There is not an adequate way to express our gratefulness towards each and every one of you," the farewell message read.
- The family behind the restaurant, which Adam recently visited for the first and last time, promised to return with a new venture.
Be smart: In the meantime, you can visit Manny's House of Pizza, which is owned and operated by the same extended family.
- Brothers Manny and Joey Macca worked side-by-side at Manny's until Joey split off to start his own iconic business, per Nashville Lifestyles.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nashville.
More Nashville stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Nashville. | https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/04/12/nashvilles-joeys-house-of-pizza-closes | 2022-04-12T12:48:51Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/04/12/nashvilles-joeys-house-of-pizza-closes | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Everything to know about Geodis Park, the new Nashville SC stadium
In a matter of weeks, Nashville SC will host games in the largest soccer-specific stadium in the country.
Driving the news: Recently named Geodis Park, the stadium opens May 1 for Nashville's home match against the Philadelphia Union.
- Single tickets for the opener are sold out, but season tickets are currently on sale.
The big picture: City and team officials hope games and concerts at Geodis will revitalize the fairgrounds area.
- "The investment we are making is not just for our soccer team, it is an investment in the future of Nashville and the Fairgrounds," lead owner John Ingram shared in a statement.
- The team ownership group has also agreed to build a mixed-use residential and retail development in the area after the stadium is completed.
- Combined with a potential renovation of the old Nashville fairgrounds racetrack, the success of soccer could eventually bring NASCAR back to the Music City, too.
By the numbers:
- 30,000 seats
- Five locker rooms
- 360-degree canopy
- 65-foot-wide shared concourse
- 17 home matches in 2022
The stadium is at the Nashville Fairgrounds and intersects three neighborhoods: Wedgewood-Houston (WeHo), Berry Hill and Woodbine.
- Geodis Park is also near Nolensville Road, which leads to one of Nashville's most diverse neighborhoods — another factor in deciding where to build a home for the world's most popular game.
Where to eat
- Smokin' Thighs - Wedgewood: The place that specializes in all things chicken. Chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken burgers, chicken salad, and chicken chili are all on the menu. They also have 2-for-1 beer specials, moonshine and 65-inch patio TVs. Details.
- Gabby's Burgers & Fries: Quick but quality spot to grab a burger, hot dog, fries, chili and milkshakes. Details.
- Lucky's 3 Star Bar: Get game day grub like hot dogs, pizza, subs and snacks. Details.
- La Hacienda: Post-game tacos and tequila sound like fun? La Hacienda has been a Nashville Mexican food staple since 1993. Details.
- Earnest Bar & Hideaway: Casual yet elegant atmosphere to relax after the game. On the menu? Nashville hot chicken and mac, poutine and charcuterie. Details.
Where to drink
- Santa's Pub: Sing your heart out after a Nashville SC victory (or defeat) at this beloved Christmas-themed karaoke bar. Details.
- Diskin Cider: Dog-friendly cider taproom with live music, a light food menu and brunch on the weekend. Details.
- Corsair Distillery HQ: Ideal spot to grab a craft cocktail or take a quick distillery tour. Includes a tasting bar, gift shop and outdoor decks with games. Details.
- The Ranch at Jackalope Brewing Company: Locally hand-crafted beers, live music, brewery tours and a dog-friendly outdoor patio. Details.
- Never Never: Casual dive bar with beer and wine all under $10. Happy Hour from 4-8pm every day (except Saturday). Dogs allowed. Details.
Getting there
The Nashville SC has transportation details on bus shuttle services, parking at the stadium and ride-shares on its website.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Nashville.
More Nashville stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Nashville. | https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/04/12/new-nashville-sc-stadium-geodis-park-guide | 2022-04-12T12:48:52Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/04/12/new-nashville-sc-stadium-geodis-park-guide | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Fayetteville library launches public fundraising campaign
The Fayetteville Public Library's nonprofit foundation is launching a new phase of a capital campaign to pay for the library's expansion, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
Why it matters: The library needs to raise money to pay off bank loans before it can hire more staff to run programming at its improved space.
What's happening: The foundation is shifting its focus from soliciting large donations from philanthropists to seeking donations from the general public.
- People can donate on the library's website.
By the numbers: The construction cost was about $50 million, about $27 million of which will be covered by voter-approved property taxes. The foundation planned to raise the other $23 million to repay the bank loans.
- It's raised $14.5 million, leaving $8.5 million to go.
Between the lines: Library officials did not see as many donations for its expansion as anticipated because of the pandemic and are now having to pay unexpected interest on the loans, the newspaper reported.
- Voters approved the property tax increase in 2016, and construction began in 2018.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios NW Arkansas.
More NW Arkansas stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios NW Arkansas. | https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2022/04/12/fayetteville-library-public-fundraising | 2022-04-12T12:49:11Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2022/04/12/fayetteville-library-public-fundraising | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mapped: Poverty in Minnesota
Roughly one in 10 residents of Hennepin and Ramsey counties lived below the poverty level in 2020, per new census data.
- The five other counties in the Twin Cities' seven-county metro have poverty rates closer to 5%.
Zoom out: The Hennepin and Ramsey rates — 10.2% and 13.4% respectively — are on par with the national average of 12.8%.
- As our interactive U.S. map shows, poverty during the pandemic was most concentrated in Appalachia, the South, Southwest and South Dakota.
Zoom in: Mahnomen County had the state's highest share of residents in poverty (21%) and Carver County had the lowest (3.4%).
- The statewide average is 9.8%.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Twin Cities.
More Twin Cities stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Twin Cities. | https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/04/12/poverty-in-minnesota-2020-census-map | 2022-04-12T12:49:13Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/04/12/poverty-in-minnesota-2020-census-map | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The most important Wolves game in a long time
Tuesday night's Timberwolves game is the highest stakes matchup for the franchise since 2018.
Driving the news: After finishing seventh in the Western Conference, the Wolves have two chances to win one game in the NBA's play-in tournament. The first is at home Tuesday at 8:30pm against the L.A. Clippers, televised on TNT.
Why it matters: A whole generation of young fans has no idea how much fun Target Center can be when the team is both good and likable. You'd have to go all the way back to the Kevin Garnett era from 1995 to 2007.
- This state could use a fun distraction.
How it works: If the Wolves win Tuesday's game, they're in the playoffs with the No. 7 seed. If they lose, they would host the winner of the New Orleans-San Antonio matchup at Target Center Friday.
- If they win that one, they get the No. 8 seed. If they lose, they miss the playoffs.
Between the lines: Locking up the No. 7 seed is important because it would mean a first-round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies instead of the Phoenix Suns, which had the NBA's best record.
Sizing up the opponents: The Clippers finished 42-40, which is a bit deceiving because their star forward Paul George missed 51 games. L.A. has won three out of four games since he returned.
- The Wolves are favored by 3 points in Vegas.
Ticket update: Some seats still remain for as low as $20. Seats on the secondary market are the most expensive of the four NBA play-in games, with an average purchase price of $191, according to TickPick.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Twin Cities.
More Twin Cities stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Twin Cities. | https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/04/12/timberwolves-clippers-playoff-chances | 2022-04-12T12:49:19Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/04/12/timberwolves-clippers-playoff-chances | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NPR touts diversity milestones following high-profile departures
More than half of NPR's leadership team (53%) is comprised of non-white executives, up from 9% in 2019, NPR CEO John Lansing tells Axios.
Why it matters: A slew of high-profile departures over the past year has shed light on ways talent — particularly women and people of color — are elevated and incentivized to stay with the public radio broadcaster.
Details: In an interview, Lansing and NPR's newly-appointed chief operating officer Will Lee noted that the efforts aren't just a moral imperative, but a business priority.
- "The issue is the median age for an NPR listener is 58 -years-old and 80-plus percent white," Lansing said. "If that's the next fifty years for NPR, then we will only get smaller and smaller."
- To become more relevant, "you sort of reverse engineer backwards," he added.
- NPR's podcast audience, by comparison, is much younger and more diverse.
By the numbers: More than half of the company's 14 top leaders, which includes chief executives and senior vice presidents, are now people of color.
- Its wider leadership team, which includes roughly two dozen executives at the vice president level and higher, also includes more than 50% people of color.
- Overall, 78% of new hires for the 2021 fiscal year (ending in September) were people of color, up from 51% in 2020 and 47.6% in 2019.
- Last year, internal data showed that people of color chose to leave NPR at a slightly lower rate (8.8%) than the overall voluntary attrition for the company (9.3%), per an NPR spokesperson.
Yes, but: Progress at the top has not flowed as quickly down to managers, NPR's union has argued.
- A union analysis in February found that around 75% of editors identified as white as of January.
- The union also found that 75% of employees in all roles within NPR’s three highest salary bands identified as white, while only 62% of NPR's total staff identifies as white.
- NPR executives acknowledged the pay gap issue internally by introducing a grid system to be more transparent about money, but the system was eventually ended after hosts concluded it capped their salaries regardless from offers from competing networks, according to NPR's David Folkenflik.
Catch up quick: Lansing joined NPR as the broadcaster's 11th CEO in 2019. Improving NPR's diversity numbers was a top priority, he said.
- In the two years since joining NPR, Lansing has established new requirements to ensure diversity is top of mind in hiring, retention and reporting.
- NPR has created internal panels with diverse staffers to review candidates and has pushed harder to promote people of color from within the nonprofit.
- NPR began requiring in December that all journalists use a source-tracking program called "Dex" to ensure the newsroom wasn't overly-relying on white sources.
- Lansing named NPR's standards vice president Keith Woods as chief diversity officer in 2020 to oversee the implementation of Dex, among other efforts.
Yes, but: Sources say the real problem doesn't lie in the number of departures, but rather the forces prompting them to leave — like salary inequities.
- It's a "red flag," tweeted former NPR host Audie Cornish, after she announced that she was leaving NPR for CNN's new streaming service in January.
- "Look at all the incredibly talented hosts from marginalized backgrounds who've left @NPR," tweeted former NPR host Sam Sanders last year. "I believe in the mission of public radio; this trend is antithetical to that mission."
Between the lines: Cornish and Sanders were part of a slew of major hosts at the nonprofit to depart in the past year.
- Sanders, formerly the host of NPR's “It's Been a Minute” show, left NPR in March for Vox Media, hosting a new culture podcast for Vulture.
- Noel King, formerly the co-host of NPR's flagship show "Morning Edition," left the company in November to become editorial director and co-host of "Today Explained," the flagship podcast of Vox.
- Lulu Garcia-Navarro, formerly the host of NPR’s "Weekend Edition" Sunday show and a former co-host of NPR's morning news podcast "Up First," said she was leaving the public broadcaster in September for The New York Times.
- Shereen Marisol Meraji, host of NPR's "Code Switch," left the company in August to pursue a career in academia.
Flashback: NPR alums trace the trend of people of color leaving the network for better commercial opportunities back to 2019, when Joshua Johnson, formerly the host of WAMU and NPR’s national weekday show "1A," left for NBC.
- NPR has since invested more in podcasting to stay competitive with major networks and news companies, but executives acknowledge the uphill battle in competing against private companies.
- "We're competing in a commercial marketplace," Lee noted. "NPR was one of the originators of podcasting before it even had a name so long ago .. And that's why there is so much interest in our hosts, who have really been pioneers."
The big picture Former and current employees say that while the nonprofit has pushed to hire and elevate people of color in recent years, structural and cultural issues at NPR prevent the nonprofit from being able to hold on to top talent.
- One frequent example cited is the lack of career development opportunities for employees within a nonprofit organization.
- "People leave jobs for other opportunities if they are unhappy with the opportunities they have and the way they have been treated. I'm sad to see this happening but it is not unexpected," Garcia-Navarro tweeted the day Cornish announced her departure.
- Tensions between NPR's union and management often spill over publicly on Twitter, causing distrust between some employees and management.
What to watch: Lee pointed to a slew of new voices filling top hosting and editorial roles in recent months, as evidence that the network continues to prioritize diversity amongst its ranks. | https://www.axios.com/npr-diversity-executives-hosts-39a40230-9da7-42df-96dd-8173ce940f55.html | 2022-04-12T12:49:25Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/npr-diversity-executives-hosts-39a40230-9da7-42df-96dd-8173ce940f55.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shanghai eases COVID lockdowns amid food crisis
Shanghai officials eased their two-week COVID-19 shutdown by letting some city residents leave their homes, following videos that went viral showing how people were running out of food.
State of play: Officials said some pharmacies and markets would be allowed to open, and approximately 6.6 million people — of the 25 million city residents — would be allowed out of their homes, AP reports.
- Starting Tuesday, residents who live in areas where there haven't been cases for two weeks will be allowed to go outside. Officials said people should still consider staying home when possible, but they'll be allowed to visit areas without new infections.
- AP noted that the people who live in such areas amount to about 6.6 million residents.
Catch up fast: "Shanghai residents across the city are scrambling for food, as empty grocery shelves, unreliable government provisions, and strained food delivery services make it hard to secure enough to eat," Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian writes.
- The Shanghai government has ordered the closure of businesses in order for people to stay home, but now residents are scrambling to access food and medicine.
- Videos show drones flying over residential areas, broadcasting to residents to stay in their homes.
Zoom out: While China's case numbers remain relatively low, Chinese President Xi Jinping has suggested that the country should continue its zero-COVID policy, so local authorities feel pressured to eliminate virus outbreaks at all costs.
Go deeper: Shanghai lockdown: A modern city starves | https://www.axios.com/shanghai-covid-lockdowns-food-0d90870a-bfd0-4a2b-ba40-32dd9985f56d.html | 2022-04-12T12:49:31Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/shanghai-covid-lockdowns-food-0d90870a-bfd0-4a2b-ba40-32dd9985f56d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Parts of Kent are set to be as hot as Greece in the coming week, according to the latest forecast from BBC Weather. It comes as warm spring sunshine could finally be on the way to the south east region with mercury hitting as high as 18C.
Temperatures in Thessaloniki are due to hit 17C tomorrow (April 11), but why would you want to be there when you can enjoy the same conditions from the comfort of your own home? Forecasts indicate mercury will rise to 17C in the north of Kent, with Dartford set to be as hot as the Greek city.
Conditions will remain warm throughout the week, with temperatures set to peak at 18C. But as the south east is set to bask in some glorious sunshine, the same can't be said for the rest of the UK. In northern parts of England, temperatures are set to drop as low as 9C.
READ MORE: The most dangerous neighbourhoods to live in Kent
The Met Office said: "Breezy and rather cloudy with some rain spreading northeast during Monday and Tuesday. Drier and less windy on Wednesday. Becoming warmer in the south, but remaining cold in the north," the Mirror reports.
However not all hope is lost as forecasters hint at warmer temperatures for the Bank Holiday could be on the cards for some. Jim Dale, a meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “There are two weather systems which threaten some rain next week, one at the start and one at the end of the week. However, temperatures look like they are picking up on Monday and this should be the trend into Easter.”
However, western parts of the country could see their plans dampened by bouts of rainy weather. An ‘erratic’ jet stream will bring bouts of rain at the start of this week with the potential for further showers at Easter.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: "The jet stream will move erratically cross the UK during the start to the middle of next week bringing showers or longer spells of rain especially across western parts of the country."
By the end of the Easter weekend, temperatures are anticipated to dip toward zero in the early mornings.
Outlook for the south east
Today:
Any mist patches clearing. Otherwise a dry and bright, but chilly morning. Cloud will bubble up by the afternoon and high cloud will gradually spill eastwards turning sunshine increasingly hazy. Winds mostly light. Maximum temperature 15C.
Tonight:
Staying fine and dry overnight with some clear spells in eastern parts. Winds will strengthen by morning, perhaps feeling blustery in coastal areas. Minimum temperature 5C.
Monday:
A dry day with a mix of cloudy periods and long sunny spells. Turning cloudier later, with outbreaks of rain expected overnight, perhaps heavy. Driest further east. Winds easing later. Maximum temperature 17C.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Rain clearing Tuesday morning, becoming brighter with winds easing further. Mist patches Wednesday and Thursday mornings, otherwise fine with sunny spells and a risk of isolated showers developing. Mild.
Sign up to get the latest stories from Kent direct into your inbox here | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kent-weather-bbc-forecasts-county-6931933 | 2022-04-12T12:55:14Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kent-weather-bbc-forecasts-county-6931933 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Conservationists say laws and reporting processes that are meant to protect marine mammals from being disturbed are failing to safeguard wildlife and need urgent reform.
As the Easter break sees holidaymakers flocking to the coast, charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) says the increasing number of people using the sea for leisure activities is pushing up the risk of harm to marine wildlife.
It is illegal to disturb whales and dolphins, which can be scared away from important feeding and breeding grounds, or even physically injured or killed by human activity.
WDC’s Katie Dyke said: “Our key aim is to stop disturbance before it happens by raising awareness of the issues.
“UK seas are a special place for dolphins and whales, being home to more than 20 species, more than anywhere else in northern Europe.
“They are also a rapidly growing destination for marine recreation and tourism, which is increasing levels of disturbance.”
She said that could happen when people get too close to marine wildlife, disrupt their natural behaviours and cause them stress.
Martin Sims, former head of the UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “Marine mammals are sensitive to disturbance, especially when they have young, are resting, feeding or socialising.
“Disturbance by some members of the public using leisure craft, jet skis, kayaks and paddleboards can frighten them and scare them away from important habitats, and in extreme cases, injure or kill them.
“Giving marine wildlife space is important – watch them from a good distance, don’t crowd them and don’t stay too long.”
Many boat users and beachgoers do not know the rules or how to report incidents they witness, the WDC says.
A law change is needed to ensure that where a dolphin expert determines disturbance has occurred – such as a vessel splitting up a family group with young calves or a rogue wildlife tourism operator repeatedly driving too close to a pod – it can be prosecuted, WDC urges.
The charity also says potential crimes are not recorded in a way that means data can be collected and analysed and a lack of specific details that police call handlers are required to take when a report comes in makes it hard to track incidents.
Police forces in the UK have increased attention and effort on tackling disturbance of dolphins and other creatures, but awareness and ability to deal with marine wildlife crime needs to be maintained and improved, the WDC said.
The charity wants to see all wildlife crime, including incidents involving marine mammals, to be “notifiable” offences recorded by the Home Office, so that data on the number of cases can be properly analysed and the issue addressed and has called for legislation used to prosecute wildlife crime to be reviewed and updated, training for police call handlers and prosecutors on marine wildlife cases/
Privately-owned leisure boats are cited as the biggest threat to whales and dolphins.
Fast-growing sports such as paddle boarding and canoeing pose a particular risk as they are able to access sites for marine creatures with little noise, and then can disturb them. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/whales-and-dolphins-face-rising-risk-of-disturbance-around-uk-coasts-charity-3650792 | 2022-04-12T12:57:22Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/whales-and-dolphins-face-rising-risk-of-disturbance-around-uk-coasts-charity-3650792 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“Yep, I’m glad the mics didn’t catch me a couple of times last week,” said the Scot, laughing, as he reflected on the 86th Masters at Augusta National.
MacIntyre was referring to Lowry letting off steam to his caddie, Bo Martin, during the third round of the season’s opening major in Georgia.
The 2019 Open champion laid up on the par-5 13th only to show he’d been unimpressed by the distance he then had for his third shot.
Picked up by microphones close by, Lowry said: "Left myself no shot. What a f****** s*** layup that was. Well done, well done Bo. Only 30 yards out. Well done."
The pair had made up by the end of the round and, helped by Martin’s valuable input, Lowry went on to finish joint-third behind Scottie Scheffler – his best finish in seven starts in The Masters.
“They understand it,” said MacIntyre, who has had Fifer Mikey Thomson on his bag since the 2020 Scottish Open “Bo’s got thick skin. Mike’s got thick skin.
“I think to be a caddie you’ve got to know that your player is going to get stressed and you are going to get hit. You’re a punchbag. You are there to take it sometimes. It’s about letting it roll off you and supporting the player.
“I think Bo has done an unbelievable job with Shane and Mike is doing a good job with me.”
In another player-caddie episode at Augusta National, Matt Fitzpatrick and the experienced Billy Foster also seemed to have a slight squabble.
Also on the 13th, though in the second circuit, Fitzpatrick seemed to be unsure about the yardage he’d been given by the man who caddied for both Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros.
As he stepped back from the ball, Foster, in his typical forthright manner, said: "We've both thought about it and decided it's the right play, so get on with it."
In fairness, Fitzpatrick didn’t seem to be offended. "Oh sorry, are you in a rush?" he said, to which Foster responded: "No, there's no rush." | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/bob-macintyre-has-his-say-on-shane-lowry-caddy-gate-and-how-he-s-glad-mics-didnt-catch-him-at-the-masters-3650849 | 2022-04-12T12:58:24Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/bob-macintyre-has-his-say-on-shane-lowry-caddy-gate-and-how-he-s-glad-mics-didnt-catch-him-at-the-masters-3650849 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
We continue with our series of interviews wit candidates in the May 7 special election for HCC District 2. I consider races like this to be one of the core purposes of this blog, since they get little attention but they matter, and we should all know about the candidates running. Today’s interview is with Youletta Jayne McCullough, who ran for HISD District II in 2015, as it happens against then-incumbent Rhonda Skillern Jones. McCullough, who goes by the nickname “Baby Jayne”, didn’t have a campaign website or Facebook page up at this time, but I found this CV/professional profile for her on the Prairie View A&M School of Education website, where she has served as an adjunct professor since 2006. She has a BS, MA, and EdD from Texas Southern University, and she has worked in HISD and other places as a teacher, curriculum and professional development manager, grant writer, and more since 1980. Here’s what we talked about:
- PREVIOUSLY: | http://www.offthekuff.com/wp/?p=104951 | 2022-04-12T13:00:23Z | offthekuff.com | control | http://www.offthekuff.com/wp/?p=104951 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Three Harris County staffers at the center of a mounting investigation into a since-canceled vaccine outreach contract have been indicted with misuse of official information and tampering, according to district clerk records.
Aaron Dunn, Wallis Nader and Alex Triantaphyllis face one felony count on each of the charges. Warrants for their arrest have been issued. Documents elaborating on the charges were not yet available on the district clerk’s website.
Lawyers for at least two of the defendants professed their innocence Monday as the charges were made public.
“Aaron Dunn is innocent — he has been an honest public servant,” attorney Dane Ball said.
A lawyer for Triantaphyllis said she believes upcoming court proceedings will “shine a light” on the lack of wrongdoing.
“These charges against my client are unsupported by a full and objective review of the facts and the voluminous evidence in this case,” lawyer Marla Poirot said in a statement. “In his service to Harris County, Alex has made the people the top priority and worked to ensure that taxpayer resources are utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
Nader’s lawyer could not be reached for comment. The three defendants are expected Tuesday in the 351st District Court.
In the months leading up to the indictments — the Texas Rangers, at the request of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, identified the three staffers in search warrants as having a role in potentially steering a vaccine outreach contract in 2021 to a vendor by giving them early access.
The three worked under County Judge Lina Hidalgo at the time of the $11 million contract, which she canceled in September amid accusations that her office manipulated the procurement process.
Dunn has since left the office, while Triantaphyllis is the judge’s chief of staff and Nader is her policy director. According to lawyers for Hidalgo and the aides, the three did not view Elevate Strategies, owned by Democratic political consultant Felicity Pererya, as a potential vendor while planning the contract, their lawyers have said. Pererya’s company ultimately won the bid.
The lawyers have argued that one of the documents outlining the outreach contract’s scope of work were sent by mistake. Another was sent as part of an unrelated project.
There are reasons to be dubious of the evidence, but once there’s a headline like this, it’s hard to shake no matter what happens next. I certainly have my doubts about these indictments. We’ll know more soon enough. That’s all I’ve got to say at this time. | http://www.offthekuff.com/wp/?p=105007 | 2022-04-12T13:00:31Z | offthekuff.com | control | http://www.offthekuff.com/wp/?p=105007 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
How much energy does it take to have a good and healthy life? A new Stanford University study has found that the answer is far less than the average American is using.
Comparing energy use and quality of life across 140 countries, researchers found that the magic number is 75 gigajoules a year, or less. For context, one gigajoule of energy is equal to about eight gallons of gasoline.
Americans use 284 gigajoules a year per capita, nearly four times that much energy, according to the new research.
"That suggests to me that we could nudge energy use downwards in a bunch of hyper-consuming countries and not just make a more equitable world, but perhaps make ourselves healthier and happier," said lead author and professor of Earth system science, Rob Jackson.
The link between more energy and better quality of life is established. Globally, around 759 million people lived without electricity and 2.6 billion without clean cooking fuel in 2019, according to the World Bank. That comes at an enormous human cost. Around four million people die each year from conditions caused by indoor air pollution from cooking fires, according to the World Health Organization. Access to electricity is critical for providing medical services and powering modern economies.
But this study measured when those benefits plateau. Scientists looked at nine benchmarks for a long, healthy life, based on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: access to electricity, air quality, food supply, Gini coefficient (which measures wealth inequality), happiness, infant mortality, life expectancy, prosperity, and sanitation. All but air quality peaked and began leveling off at or below 75 gigajoules a year.
Researchers also found that there is already enough energy used to get everyone on the planet over that threshold, if it were shared equally. Based on current global energy consumption, there are 79 gigajoules used for each person on the planet.
"It's not super hard to conclude that Americans are generally not as efficient with their energy use as they could be," said Sarah Ladislaw, managing director of the U.S. program at RMI, a non-partisan organization that's pushing the country to transition to cleaner energy faster. But the good news, she said, is that "there's enormous room for the U.S. to improve on this."
Transportation is a main driver of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
There is no mechanism to redistribute energy equally around the world, and global energy needs are rising.
Both Jackson and Ladislaw point to changes individuals and policymakers can make to lessen American consumption.
"The fastest and the quickest thing that you could do is do conservation and energy efficiency measures," said Ladislaw. That would help not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but would alleviate the energy security crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, she continued.
On the policy level, lawmakers can promote better energy efficiency standards for private businesses, incentivize retrofitting buildings to reduce their consumption, and build or adapt transportation infrastructure that helps people drive less, said Ladislaw.
On the individual level, changing home energy use behaviors could reduce residential energy demand in the U.S. by up to 20%, according to the International Energy Agency. Some examples include heating or cooling your house by zone, rather than setting it all to the same temperature, or using cold water to wash clothes and a clothesline to dry them.
Americans' greatest contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions comes from transportation, mostly from cars and trucks, according to the federal government. It's also one of the top two biggest drivers of energy use by sector, just after industrial use. Jackson pointed to the amount of air travel Americans do compared to other global citizens, as another place to cut back on energy consumption.
"It also means you're walking and biking more, using public transport and making less long trips," said Jackson.
Many approaches require a blend of the two, to incentivize people and businesses to make an up-front investment in equipment or technology that uses less energy over time, said Ladislaw. She is hopeful that the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes several provisions focused on reducing consumption, increasing efficiency, and expanding access to renewable energy sources, will do that.
But, Ladislaw cautioned, many of these moves can face resistance at the local level.
"We've got to stop saying, 'Hey, we don't really want a new bus rapid transit route,' or...'We don't want X, Y or Z piece of infrastructure in our area," she said, when it's "in our longer term interest to support that." Especially now that there is growing evidence that those measures, and using less energy generally, do not have a negative impact on Americans living a happy, healthy life.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-12/how-much-energy-powers-a-good-life-less-than-youre-using-says-a-new-report | 2022-04-12T13:18:55Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-12/how-much-energy-powers-a-good-life-less-than-youre-using-says-a-new-report | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Several tornadoes reportedly touched down in Arkansas overnight during a spate of severe weather, though the extent of any damage or injuries they caused is still unclear.
The National Weather Service in Little Rock issued a rare tornado warning around 8:15 p.m. local time on Monday for areas north of the state's capital and most populous city.
"TAKE SHELTER NOW!" the NWS warned. "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION! BE IN YOUR SHELTER NOW!"
Gov. Asa Hutchinson urged residents in the impacted areas to "please take shelter."
Among the tornadoes reported overnight was one at Little Rock Air Force Base, located northeast of the city near the town of Jacksonville.
The installation said in a tweet that no damage had been observed at the base and that authorities were continuing to monitor severe weather conditions.
The NWS said there was the possibility for severe thunderstorms — as well as hail and more tornadoes — in a large part of the state from Tuesday afternoon into the evening.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-12/several-tornadoes-reportedly-touched-down-in-arkansas-overnight | 2022-04-12T13:19:01Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-12/several-tornadoes-reportedly-touched-down-in-arkansas-overnight | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
That's not good.
Putin says Ukraine has deviated from agreements achieved at talks in Istanbul.
- Aim in Ukraine is to reach all goals and minimize losses
- Operation is going as planned
- Situation in Bucha is fake
- We shall not hide anything about our military operation in Ukraine
- The west does not understand that difficult conditions unite Russian people | https://www.forexlive.com/news/putin-ukraine-talks-are-at-a-dead-end-20220412/ | 2022-04-12T13:20:29Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/putin-ukraine-talks-are-at-a-dead-end-20220412/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The White House warned ahead of this report that it expects inflation to be 'extraordinarily elevated'. Let's look at the numbers:
- Prior was 7.9% y/y
- m/m reading 1.2% vs 1.2% expected and 0.8% prior
- Full report
Core CPI:
- y/y 6.5% vs 6.6% expected and 6.4% prior
- m/m 0.3% vs 0.5% expected and 0.5% prior
Details:
I think the conversation will start to change on inflation Inflation Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market. Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market. when the month-over-months numbers begin to flatten out. For April (as it stands), there will be large negative pressure from gasoline prices if oil stays near $100. The fall in used vehicle prices will also be a drag on inflation for the foreseeable future. That said, with the lockdowns in China we could be on the cusp of a new round of supply chain shortages. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-march-cpi-85-yy-vs-84-expected-20220412/ | 2022-04-12T13:20:41Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-march-cpi-85-yy-vs-84-expected-20220412/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Core CPI was a shade below expectations and the dollar has been hit hard across the board. The market has been pricing in a Fed funds rise to 3.25% but if we start to see prices flatten out, we may never get there.
It strikes most people as insane to call a top in inflation at 8.5% but gasoline prices are on track to be materially lower in April than March. There are also signs of slowing demand for goods, which could continue to cool (or at least flatten) prices for durable goods.
Remember, prices don't need to revert to knock down inflation -- they just need to stop rising.
The reaction in stocks is also telling. S&P 500 futures are up 1.2% in a jump from when the data was released. It's now clear there was a lot of fear about inflation in yesterday's stock trading, particularly that rout in the final 30 minutes of US stock trading. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/were-getting-a-taste-of-what-the-peak-inflation-trade-looks-like-20220412/ | 2022-04-12T13:20:47Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/were-getting-a-taste-of-what-the-peak-inflation-trade-looks-like-20220412/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DOVER, Del. (AP) - A high-ranking state medical official who is also a former Delaware lawmaker has opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial on charges of official misconduct and falsifying business records.
The trial of Rebecca D. Walker is set to begin Tuesday afternoon in New Castle County Superior Court.
Walker is the director of nursing in the state Division of Public Health and a former state House representative. She is accused of submitting phony records regarding employee alcohol and drug testing over a period of almost five years while she served as deputy director of the state Division of Forensic Science.
Walker was placed on paid administrative leave from her nursing post after being indicted in April 2021, but was allowed to return to work less than three weeks later.
As Democratic vice-chair of the House Health and Human Development, Walker cosponsored and helped pass a bill in 2014 that created the forensic science division. Months later, without a public job posting, she was hired as deputy director of the division at a salary of more than $92,000.
The indictment alleges that between May 2015 and February 2020, Walker “with the intent to defraud,” falsified employee substance abuse testing records, indicating that employees had passed tests they never received.
The alleged falsification occurred in the wake of an evidence-tampering scandal involving the former Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and its drug laboratory. That scandal caused upheaval in the criminal court system, resulted in the arrests of two employees and the firing of the medical examiner. It also led lawmakers to abolish the medical examiner’s office and replace it with the forensic science division.
Walker is charged with falsifying business records, offering a false instrument for filing, and official misconduct, all misdemeanors. She could face up to three years in prison if convicted. | https://www.wboc.com/news/delaware-official-opts-for-bench-trial-on-misconduct-charges/article_06490e5e-ba0a-11ec-8947-83ac77b64865.html | 2022-04-12T13:24:57Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/delaware-official-opts-for-bench-trial-on-misconduct-charges/article_06490e5e-ba0a-11ec-8947-83ac77b64865.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WESTOVER, Md. - Lindsey Lescallette says she is breathing easier knowing her nieces and nephews have an added layer of protection while riding the school bus.
"I rode the bus a lot, being on back roads of Somerset County that was a big fear because cars always in a rush, they were flying by," she said.
Somerset County Public Schools partnered with the Somerset County Sheriff's Office to equip all forty school buses with the cameras that will snap a picture of a car's license plate if it passes a bus that is stopped to pick up or drop off a student.
Corporal Lemuel White is tasked with sifting through those pictures to determine which drivers deserve a ticket.
"My name will be on every citation so when a violator runs a school bus and your child is involved, I'm probably going to be the one to say yay or nay," White said.
The funding for the program is generated through the tickets, which means no additional cost to the taxpayer.
Lescallette hopes the cameras will make people think twice about passing a bus.
"Hopefully it just puts fear into drivers when it comes to passing school buses even when a child might not be getting off the bus," she said.
The program is through the company "Bus Patrol." The cameras were implemented earlier this year in Queen Anne's County as well. | https://www.wboc.com/news/somerset-county-school-buses-now-equipped-with-stop-arm-cameras/article_10f9ff2a-ba41-11ec-917d-43d763799ae5.html | 2022-04-12T13:25:03Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/somerset-county-school-buses-now-equipped-with-stop-arm-cameras/article_10f9ff2a-ba41-11ec-917d-43d763799ae5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
OCEAN CITY, Md. (CBS/WBOC)- A new face is taking over at the original Phillips Crab House in Ocean City.
The co-owner of Union Chesapeake Seafood House, Frank Raffo, announced Monday through a Facebook post that the business will be taking over operations at the 66-year-old establishment located at 2004 Philadelphia Ave.
While things may look different, Raffo promised the seafood house won’t stray far from founders Frank and Shirley Phillips’ seafood concept.
The upstairs of the building will feature an all-you-can-eat seafood, prime rib and blue crab buffet. Downstairs, visitors will find a full-service restaurant., Raffo said.
“We want to thank Paul McKinley and the entire Phillips family for their help and support over the last month or so,” Raffo said. “This experience has been surreal thus far and our team is very excited to earn the opportunity that is before us.”
Phillips Crab House announced in December that it was permanently closing its iconic Ocean City location after over 66 years in business. Other locations will remain open, including its Inner Harbor location, and Phillips maintains retail and international business. | https://www.wboc.com/news/union-chesapeake-seafood-house-to-take-over-phillips-crab-house-ocean-city/article_6be5f0d2-ba5b-11ec-af51-4781a76a9085.html | 2022-04-12T13:25:09Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/union-chesapeake-seafood-house-to-take-over-phillips-crab-house-ocean-city/article_6be5f0d2-ba5b-11ec-af51-4781a76a9085.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARINE FORECAST
by WBOC Meteorologist John Conway
Mostly cloudy with stray, light showers Tuesday morning, then partly cloudy by afternoon. Winds generally from the west at 10-15 kts with gusts to 20 kts possible. Winds will shift to the south Wednesday at 10-15 kts.
Atlantic Ocean:
Tuesday: SW 10-15 knots, gusts to 20. Seas: 3-4 ft.
Wednesday: S 10-15 knots. Seas: 2-3 ft.
Chesapeake Bay:
Tuesday: SW 5-10 knots. Seas 1 ft.
Wednesday: S 5-10 knots. Seas 1-2 ft.
Delaware Bay:
Tuesday: SW 10-15 knots, gusts to 20. Seas: 2 ft.
Wednesday: S 10-15 knots. Seas: 2 ft. | https://www.wboc.com/weather/on-the-waters/marine-forecast/article_3d1d1e78-ba5c-11ec-983a-d7f332af18b6.html | 2022-04-12T13:25:15Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/weather/on-the-waters/marine-forecast/article_3d1d1e78-ba5c-11ec-983a-d7f332af18b6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NewsNation) — There’s a little device appearing to cause big problems for some people. Apple AirTags are coin-sized gadgets that allow owners to track misplaced items. But as NewsNation has learned, some people are also using them to track other people.
An AirTag can be attached to most items. The small button-shaped device is simply placed on an item, then tracked through an app. The AirTag speaker and Bluetooth antenna will then ping the location of the missing item.
But hundreds of people have reported being unknowingly tracked by the tiny devices and there are fears the number could grow. Authorities say there are unsettling cases of stalkers and thieves planting AirTags and then following people’s movements.
A new report from VICE Media’s Motherboard by reporter Samantha Cole shared the results of 150 police reports involving AirTags. The report states that 50 cases were from women who called police when they received notifications their whereabouts were being tracked. Of those, half of the women reported knowing the person tracking them.
Cole combed through the police reports to document crime associated with AirTags. She says many of the reports followed a similar pattern.
“What stood out to me was probably the consistency throughout the stories that did talk about someone who was stalking them. A lot of them followed a really similar pattern where someone had an abusive partner or an ex-partner or a man had become violent after they had broken up and then they’d taken out an Order of Protection against them or gone to the police once and then from there, they started seeing this man around town and wondering how he knew where she was at all times.
“And, you know, he would show up at work, he would show up at her house and kind of be watching her even though she had already taken the measures to kind of protect yourself against him. So yeah, that was the most kind of striking thing to me … the reports really followed this very specific pattern of a man escalating his stalking and harassment after she tried to cut ties with him,” Cole said Monday on NewsNation’s “Rush Hour.”
So, how are police suggesting that people protect themselves in similar situations?
“A lot of reports that I read, and I can just kind of speak to what was in the reports that we read, the police responded, saying, you know, you can take out another Order of Protection, you can call a domestic violence hotline, you can obviously take the AirTag off of your vehicle, or you know, turn it in for evidence and you kind of keep a paper trail that way,” Cole said.
“They’re all doing the right thing and kind of, you know, starting this reporting process and saying the behaviors escalated, I need someone to know about this. But beyond that, there was not a lot that police were going to saying to these women to protect themselves because there’s not a ton to be done … when you don’t you’re being tracked.”
While other tracking devices are out on the market, officials don’t yet know the scale of if products other than AirTags are reportedly being used by stalkers and thieves.
“This is the first time we’ve really seen the scale of the AirTags being abused in a way that we’ve … had this theoretical, or like you said, there have been … here and there cases where people have reported being stalked with them,” Cole said. “But you know, this is the first time we’ve seen where it’s actually happening in a really large scale.
“As far as other devices, we’re not totally sure yet. … They’re even harder to detect. Some of the experts that I talked to before this recording said the fact that people are going to the police are reporting that they found AirTags as evidence that they’re working that the notifications and the safety systems that Apple is putting in place that are actually, finally checking in and people are able to find their tags in the first place. And with these other devices … like Tile and others, there’s no such notification coming to your phone where you’re being followed by them. So there’s a lot to be done in this industry to protect people.”
Apple is aware its product is being used for stalking. The tech giant released a new personal safety user guide and issued the following statement: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products. Apple has been working closely with various safety groups and law enforcement agencies. Through our own evaluations and these discussions, we have identified even more ways we can update AirTag safety warnings and help guard against further unwanted tracking.” | https://www.wspa.com/news/reports-of-stalking-linked-to-airtags-often-follow-pattern/ | 2022-04-12T13:25:26Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/reports-of-stalking-linked-to-airtags-often-follow-pattern/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The governor of Georgia is expected to sign a bill on Tuesday that would allow people to carry handguns in public without a permit.
The bill would ban guns in airports and government buildings.
It would also ban certain people from carrying, including those with drug convictions, those who have been convicted of a felony, and people who have been treated for mental health issues or substance abuse in the past five years.
Once it is signed into law, Georgia will be the 23rd state to allow permitless carry or “constitutional carry,” according to data gathered by Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that focuses on gun violence prevention.
Supporters of the bill say it is needed so that people can protect themselves easily as crime rises.
However, critics have said that removing a background check requirement will amp up gun-related deaths.
Law enforcement officials across the country have echoed that statement, saying that without a permit requirement, they will face a greater challenge in combatting gun violence.
Governor Brian Kemp promised a measure like this one when he first ran for governor in 2018. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/georgia-governor-to-sign-permitless-carry-law-on-tuesday | 2022-04-12T13:28:52Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/georgia-governor-to-sign-permitless-carry-law-on-tuesday | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inflation has hit a 40-year-high, according to data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday.
New data shows inflation climbed to 8.5% in March, with costs for food, gasoline, housing and other necessities squeezing American consumers and wiping out the pay raises that many people have received.
The Labor Department said the 12-month jump in inflation is the biggest year-over-year increase since December 1981.
Prices have been driven up by bottlenecked supply chains, robust consumer demand and disruptions to global food and energy markets worsened by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Rental rates have also increased for the past seven months.
The government’s report also showed that inflation rose 1.2% from February to March, up from a 0.8% increase from January to February.
The Federal Reserve will likely move forward with its plans to continue raising interest rates to fight inflation.
It raised its key federal funds rate in March to a range of 0.25% to 0.5%.
The Fed is projecting at least six more rate hikes this year. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/inflation-jumped-8-5-in-past-year-highest-since-1981-labor-department-reports | 2022-04-12T13:28:58Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/inflation-jumped-8-5-in-past-year-highest-since-1981-labor-department-reports | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
skip to main content
Save.ca
Homefinder.ca
Wheels.ca
Readers' Choice Awards
loading...
skip to main content
Sign In
Show Navigation
0°C
Tuesday Apr 12
Close Navigation
Local News
Things to do
Opinion
Life
Announcements
Marketplace
Search
Sign In
Save.ca
Homefinder.ca
Wheels.ca
Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/news-story/10605536-today-s-coronavirus-news-as-provinces-ask-people-to-manage-covid-risks-experts-say-the-public-has/ | 2022-04-12T13:37:52Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/news-story/10605536-today-s-coronavirus-news-as-provinces-ask-people-to-manage-covid-risks-experts-say-the-public-has/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
skip to main content
Save.ca
Homefinder.ca
Wheels.ca
Readers' Choice Awards
loading...
skip to main content
Sign In
Show Navigation
0°C
Tuesday Apr 12
Close Navigation
Local News
Things to do
Opinion
Life
Announcements
Marketplace
Search
Sign In
Save.ca
Homefinder.ca
Wheels.ca
Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/whatson-story/10605495-on-nova-scotia-writer-alexander-macleod-s-brilliant-new-book-you-think-you-are-in-one-situation-b/ | 2022-04-12T13:38:16Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/whatson-story/10605495-on-nova-scotia-writer-alexander-macleod-s-brilliant-new-book-you-think-you-are-in-one-situation-b/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By DEEPA BHARATH
“Good morning! Happy morning!” Rabbi Avraham Wolff exclaimed, with a big smile, as he walked into the Chabad synagogue in Odesa on a recent morning.
Russian missiles had just struck an oil refinery in the Ukrainian city, turning the sky charcoal gray. Hundreds were lining up outside his synagogue hoping to receive a kilo of matzah each for their Passover dinner tables. The unleavened flatbread, imperative at the ritual meal known as a Seder, is now hard to find in war-torn Ukraine amid the war and a crippling food shortage.
But the rabbi wanted no challenge to get him down — be it the lack of matzah or that he was missing his wife and children who had fled the Black Sea port for Berlin days ago.
“I need to smile for my community,” Wolff said. “We need humor. We need hope.”
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews have fled while about 80% remain in Ukraine, according to estimates from Chabad, one of the largest Hasidic Jewish organizations in the world. Inside and outside Ukraine, a nation steeped in Jewish history and heritage, people are preparing to celebrate Passover, which begins sundown on April 15. It’s been a challenge, to say the least.
The holiday marks the liberation of Jewish people from slavery in ancient Egypt, and their exodus under the leadership of Moses. The story is taking on special meaning for thousands of Jewish Ukrainian refugees who are living a dramatic story in real time.
Chabad, which has deep roots and a wide network in Ukraine, and other groups such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Jewish Federations of North America, have mobilized to help Ukrainian Jews celebrate Passover wherever they have sought refuge. In Ukraine, Chabad plans 52 public Seders welcoming about 9,000 people.
In Odesa, Wolff is preparing to host two large Seders – one in early evening at the Chabad synagogue for families with young children and a later Seder at a hotel where participants can stay the night, obeying a 9 p.m. curfew.
He’s been waving in trucks loaded with Passover supplies – matzah from Israel, milk from France, meat from Britain.
“We may not all be together, but it’s going to be an unforgettable Passover,” Wolff said. “This year, we celebrate as one big Jewish family around the world.”
JDC, which has evacuated more than 11,600 Jews from Ukraine, has shipped more than 2 tons of matzah, over 400 bottles of grape juice and over 700 pounds of kosher Passover food for refugees in Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Romania, said Chen Tzuk, the organization’s director of operations in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Ukraine, their social service centers and corps of volunteers are distributing nearly 16 tons of matzah to elderly Jews and families in need, she said.
“Passover is something familiar and basic for Jewish people,” Tzuk said. “For refugees who have left everything behind, it’s important to be able celebrate this holiday with honor and dignity.”
JDC is organizing in-person Seders in countries bordering Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, she said, and is facilitating online Seders where it’s too dangerous to gather in person.
The Jewish Federations of North America has set up a volunteer hub in support of refugees fleeing Ukraine; it’s a partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel, the JDC and IsrAID. Russian-speaking volunteers, such as Alina Spaulding, will help organize a Seder for 100 refugees at a hotel in Budapest.
Spaulding, a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, fled Kharkiv, Ukraine, as a 5-year-old in the 1970s with her parents. She said the war has rekindled strong connections to Ukraine.
“My mom showed me a photo of me with my grandpa on a street that was recently bombed,” Spaulding said. “We talked about the university in Kharkiv where my mom and dad went, which was also hit. Suddenly, it all felt so personal.”
Spaulding believes spending Passover with refugees will be “an experience to remember.”
“Part of the magic of Passover is finding your own story,” she said. “We’re in the middle of a modern-day exodus. I can’t even imagine the stories I will hear.”
Celebrating a holiday can give people a rush of hope and happiness even in grim situations, said Rabbi Jacob Biderman, who leads Chabad activities throughout Austria, including a center in Vienna that is sheltering about 800 Ukrainian Jews. Days after refugees reached his center, Biderman led a joyous celebration of Purim, a festival commemorating the deliverance of Jews from a planned massacre in ancient Persia.
“The look on their faces changed from sorrow to joy… Their eyes lit up,” Biderman said. “It gave them a sense of normalcy, dignity and the belief that their spiritual life is something no one can take away from them.”
That fueled Biderman’s determination to provide a memorable Passover Seder for the refugees.
Dr. Yaacov Gaissinovitch, his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children – ages 11, 8 and 4 – will be part of that celebration. They fled the Ukrainian city of Dnipro by car on Friday, March 4. Gaissinovitch, a urologist and mohel who performs the Jewish rite of circumcision, said it pained him, as an observant Jew, to drive on Shabbat – a forbidden act on the day of rest and prayer except when lives are at stake.
“I drove nonstop for 12 hours to Moldova to save us all,” he said. “We sang all the Shabbat songs in the car. It was very, very hard.”
In Dnipro, Gaissinovitch had his offices in the sprawling Menorah Center, which serves as a center of Jewish life, housing a synagogue, shops, restaurants, museums and the office of the city’s chief rabbi.
After a month of being severed from everything familiar, the Chabad center in Vienna has been a blessing, Gaissinovitch said.
“We’ve been accepted here very warmly,” he said. “After being disconnected for days, the children have been able to see that our life hasn’t stopped.”
A similar community at the Chabad center in Berlin is housing about 1,000 refugees, including Rabbi Avraham Wolff’s wife and children from Odesa. The center plans to host eight Seders citywide and has distributed matzah and other food to community members. Refugees, including 120 children from an Odesa orphanage who arrived in Berlin along with Wolff’s family, distributed the items to locals, said Yehuda Teichtal, the chief rabbi of Berlin.
“To me, this is extremely touching,” he said. “That people on the receiving end are able to give and not be viewed as victims. It’s empowering and energizing.”
As they prepare for Passover, Teichtal, Biderman and Wolff said they have been inspired by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who was among the most influential global leaders in Judaism in modern times. April 5 marked the Rebbe’s 120th birth anniversary, a special number in Jewish tradition.
“The Rebbe built a strong foundation (in Ukraine) so we’re able to do what we’re doing now,” Wolff said.
Schneerson grew up in Ukraine during a challenging time in the former Soviet Union, Teichtal said.
“In spite of all the darkness, his focus was selflessness, dedication, love for all humanity and the unwavering faith that we are going to overcome,” Teichtal said.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/for-jews-fleeing-ukraine-passover-takes-on-new-meaning/ | 2022-04-12T13:38:29Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/for-jews-fleeing-ukraine-passover-takes-on-new-meaning/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By YURAS KARMANAU and ADAM SCHRECK
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine investigated a claim that a poisonous substance was dropped on besieged Mariupol, as Western officials warned Tuesday that any use of chemical weapons by Russia would be a serious escalation of the already devastating war.
Thwarted in his apparent ambition to overrun the Ukrainian capital, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now building up forces for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region, and insisted Tuesday that his campaign would continue until it achieves its goals. He said Russia “had no other choice” but to launch what he calls a “special military operation,” saying it was to protect civilians in the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbas.
As Ukrainian forces brace for a new attack, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said it was possible phosphorus munitions — which cause horrendous burns but are not classed as chemical weapons — had been used in Mariupol. That city lies in the Donbas and has been razed in six weeks of pummeling by Russian troops that the mayor said has left more than 10,000 civilians dead, their corpses “carpeted through the streets.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday night that Russian forces could use chemical weapons in the city, echoing similar, repeated warnings by Western officials. And leaders inside and outside of the country said they were urgently investigating the unconfirmed claim by a Ukrainian regiment that a poisonous substance was dropped on fighters in Mariupol.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said use of chemical weapons “would be a callous escalation in this conflict,” while Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said it would be a “wholesale breach of international law.”
In the face of stiff resistance by Ukrainian forces bolstered by Western weapons, Russian forces have increasingly relied on bombarding cities, flattening many urban areas and leaving thousands of people dead. In other areas, they have pulled back to regroup.
Their retreat from cities and towns around the capital, Kyiv, led to the discovery of large numbers of apparently massacred civilians, prompting widespread condemnation and accusations that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.
The war has also driven more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes — including nearly two-thirds of all children.
Still, there are fears of even wider carnage to come, amid signs the Russian military is gearing up for a major offensive in the Donbas. A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support.
Putin insisted during a visit to Russia’s Far East that the military operation would prevail, and that foreign powers wouldn’t succeed in isolating Russia.
He said that Russia’s economy and financial system withstood the blow from what he called the Western sanctions “blitz” and claimed they would backfire by driving up prices for essentials such as fertilizer, leading to food shortages and increase migration flows to the West.
The Donbas has been torn by fighting between Russian-allied separatists and Ukrainian forces since 2014, and Russia has recognized the separatists’ claims of independence. Military strategists say Russian leaders appear to hope local support, logistics and terrain in the region favor Russia’s larger and better-armed military, potentially allowing its troops to finally turn the tide decisively in their favor.
Describing a battle happening around a steel mill in Mariupol, a Russia-allied separatist official appeared to urge the use of chemical weapons Monday, telling Russian state TV that separatist forces should seize the plant from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits. “And then we’ll use chemical troops to smoke them out of there,” he said.
But Eduard Basurin was quoted by the Interfax news agency on Tuesday as saying that the separatist forces “haven’t used any chemical weapons in Mariupol.”
It was the Ukrainian regiment defending the plant that claimed a drone had dropped a poisonous substance on the city. It indicated there were no serious injuries. The assertion by the Azov Regiment, a far-right group now part of the Ukrainian military, could not be independently verified.
Truss said the U.K. was “working urgently” to investigate the report, while Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol.
But Kirby noted the administration’s persistent concerns “about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.” Britain, meanwhile, has warned that Russia may use phosphorus bombs — whose use in civilian areas is banned under international law — in Mariupol.
That city has already seen some of the heaviest attacks and civilian suffering in the war, but the land, sea and air assaults by Russian forces fighting to capture it have increasingly limited information about what’s happening inside the city.
Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of attempted humanitarian convoys into the city in part to conceal the carnage. Boychenko said the death toll in Mariupol alone could surpass 20,000.
He said, about 120,000 civilians in the city are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications.
Boychenko also gave new details of allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.
Boychenko spoke from Ukrainian-controlled territory outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the alleged methodical burning of bodies by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources.
While building up forces in the east, Russia continued to strike targets across Ukraine in a bid to wear down the country’s defenses. Russia’s defense ministry said Tuesday that it used used air- and sea-launched missiles to destroy an ammunition depot and airplane hangar at Starokostiantyniv in the western Khmelnytskyi region and an ammunition depot near Kyiv.
___
Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/mayor-10000-dead-in-ukraines-mariupol-and-toll-could-rise/ | 2022-04-12T13:38:35Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/mayor-10000-dead-in-ukraines-mariupol-and-toll-could-rise/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Frugal Tesla Guy, a YouTube personality focused on Tesla, gives his passengers a speech to prepare them before he turns on “full self-driving.”
“I need you to understand that I have complete and total control. I’m behind the wheel. I have access to the brake, the accelerator and the steering wheel. Anytime it does something that I don’t feel is safe, I will take control of the car,” he says.
But the reassurances haven’t eased his wife’s concerns. She says the technology is often jarring and anxiety-inducing.
“If I’m reading, that’s when I’m like, ‘Oh good grief,’” Sadie Krueger told CNN Business. “It would be jerky or swerve just out of the blue. You’re like, ‘Whoa, are you drunk?’”
Krueger says she loves their Tesla Model 3, but she feels that “full self-driving” drives closer to large trucks than most drivers, and sometimes steers into the wrong lane. The technology drives like a “grandpa” in some cases, irritating nearby drivers, she says, but other times can be aggressive.
Tesla enthusiasts with the unfinished, test version of “full self-driving,” currently a driver-assist system akin to an enhanced cruise control, are finding that family and friends like Krueger don’t always share their enthusiasm. The technology promises to one day drive passengers to their destinations without human intervention. Many tell CNN Business that they use the software less when driving with other people, including their romantic partners.
Passengers sometimes object to what they describe as the jerky driving style of “full self-driving” and have asked the Tesla fans not to use “full self-driving” while they’re in the vehicle. Some Tesla owners are preemptively deciding to not turn on “full self-driving” so that passengers get a smoother ride.
Krueger said she humors her husband, as he gets a kick out of testing the software near their California home. His YouTube channel has more than 42,000 subscribers who watch his videos on Tesla. But she draws a line, too, and has asked him not to use it when she rides with him in cities or where he knows it is likely to be jerky.
But plenty of passengers, especially younger ones like Krueger’s teenage son, and tech junkies, are excited by the nascent technology, and savor the experience, flaws and all.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said every year from 2015 to 2022 that self-driving Teslas were probably a year or two away. He’s said that lives will be transformed with safer roads and affordable transportation. Musk has described Teslas as “appreciating assets” that should be worth as much as $200,000, and claims they could someday bring in up to $30,000 in gross profit as robotaxis in the automaker’s proposed future ridehail network.
In Musk’s pitch, robotaxis would operate like Uber or Lyft vehicles that could be summoned via a Tesla smartphone app. There would be no human driver behind the wheel. There might not even be a steering wheel or pedals in the vehicle. Some Tesla enthusiasts have purchased their vehicles with plans to use them as robotaxis in the future.
But before Tesla’s technology can change the world, it will first have to work, and then it will have to win over fans’ loved ones. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment about the reactions of family and friends of its beta testers.
Tesla takes the wheel
Tesla first released an early version of “full self-driving” to a small group in October 2021. “Full self-driving” isn’t really “self-driving” in the eyes of regulators and autonomous vehicle experts. It’s more like an enhanced cruise control that steers, accelerates and navigates intersections, but it needs an attentive human driver behind the wheel who can take control at any moment because of the system’s shortcomings.
Drivers reported being both amazed and alarmed by the system, which sometimes shines, and in other cases makes seemingly dangerous decisions.
Tesla owner Justin Demaree says he tries to use “full self-driving” as much as possible. He views it as historically significant work. Tesla cars with “full self-driving” send driving data back to the automaker, which uses it to refine the software.
Demaree imagines a day when people may not even fly anymore because self-driving software gets so good.
“It will change everything,” Demaree said. “If you don’t have to pay attention, you don’t have to do anything, you can spend that time with family or doing other things that are more productive or add more value.”
But Demaree must reckon with the difference between the promised future and the current reality when his family gets in the car. He only uses “full self-driving” about half the time that he drives with his wife Heather.
“If it’s being temperamental, she doesn’t have to ask anymore,” Demarre said. “I just turn it off.”
Walt Corey, 70, hopes he’ll never have to turn off the “full self-driving” software while driving alone or with his wife, Nancy. He bought a Tesla in hopes of ensuring their mobility and independence as they age.
He says she gets annoyed with the loud alarm that sounds to alert drivers when they need to immediately take control of the car because it can’t handle a situation.
“It’s really obnoxious,” Corey said, explaining that the noise bothers him as well. “Let me know if I’m about to drive off the cliff or hit somebody, but don’t do it because the software gets confused.”
Worth the trouble?
Jeff Goin, a pilot and self-described “techno-geek,” bought a Tesla in part because he felt that Autopilot, its driver-assist technology that is more rudimentary than “full self-driving,” would make him feel less fatigued after long drives. Tesla owners generally say that using Autopilot’s auto-steering function on divided highways leaves them less drained after hours on the road.
But Goin doesn’t use “full self-driving.” He tried the software and felt he was having to pay even more attention when using it.
Goin’s partner Tim uses “full self-driving” regularly. “Hang on,” Goin says he jokes to friends riding with them when Tim turns on “full self-driving.”
When the couple rides by themselves, Tim uses “full self-driving” less. Goin said he sometimes works in the car, so he doesn’t like the distraction of being jostled. Even so, Goin says he’s at times impressed with “full self-driving.”
“Sometimes you get in there and you think it’s come a long way. And then it stops on the railroad tracks,” Goin said, describing a recent incident in which he says his Tesla’s “full self-driving” sensed a stop sign down the road and chose to stop earlier than advisable, briefly stopping on railroad tracks.
Goin, who said he “immensely” admires CEO Elon Musk, is skeptical of how soon self-driving vehicles will be a reality.
“There’s time on the regular scale, minutes on a regular scale and then there are Musk minutes,” Goin said.
Though Musk has never wavered in his promise that self-driving Teslas are just around the corner, the challenge of building a fully autonomous vehicle has proven harder than those developing them expected.
Building a robotaxi that drives safely isn’t enough, either. Robotaxis will have to operate smoothly enough to make passengers like Goin comfortable. Many of them are unlikely to accept as many flaws as early adopters of technology.
John Gibbs, a Georgia professor who says he’s long tested beta software, is “used to seeing things break and behave weirdly and you’re like, ‘Oh wow, I wonder what caused that,?’” he said. “But there are people whose personality types are much less that. They just want something to work.”
One of them is Gibbs’s wife, Lane, he said, who doesn’t like it when full self-driving is jerky in turns. He uses “full self-driving” with her on straightaways, but he turns it off at intersections where the car must turn.
“For her comfort and sanity, I’ve just learned it’s not worth having her go, ‘Why are you doing this?’” he said.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/tesla-fans-struggle-to-get-loved-ones-on-board-with-full-self-driving/ | 2022-04-12T13:38:47Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/tesla-fans-struggle-to-get-loved-ones-on-board-with-full-self-driving/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By PAUL WISEMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation soared over the past year at its fastest pace in more than 40 years, with costs for food, gasoline, housing and other necessities squeezing American consumers and wiping out the pay raises that many people have received.
The Labor Department said Tuesday that its consumer price index jumped 8.5% in March from 12 months earlier, the sharpest year-over-year increase since December 1981. Prices have been driven up by bottlenecked supply chains, robust consumer demand and disruptions to global food and energy markets worsened by Russia’s war against Ukraine. From February to March, inflation rose 1.2% , the biggest month-to-month jump since 2005.
Across the economy, the year-over-year price spikes were widespread in March. Gasoline prices have rocketed 48% in the past 12 months. Used car prices have soared 35.3%, though they actually fell in February and March. Bedroom furniture is up 14.7%, men’s jackets suits and coats 14.5%. Grocery prices have jumped 10%, including 18% increases for both bacon and oranges.
Even excluding volatile food and energy prices, which have driven overall inflation, so-called core inflation jumped 6.5% over the past 12 months, the biggest such increase since 1982.
The March inflation numbers were the first to capture the full surge in gasoline prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Moscow’s brutal attacks have triggered far-reaching Western sanctions against the Russian economy and have disrupted global food and energy markets. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gasoline — $4.10 — is up 43% from a year ago, though it has fallen back in the past couple of weeks.
The escalation of energy prices has led to higher transportation costs for the shipment of goods and components across the economy, which, in turn, has contributed to higher prices for consumers.
The latest evidence of accelerating prices will solidify expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates aggressively in the coming months to try to slow borrowing and spending and tame inflation. The financial markets now foresee much steeper rate hikes this year than Fed officials had signaled as recently as last month.
“The Fed will be pressing firmly on the brake pedal — not just pumping the brakes — in an effort to slow demand and bring the inflation rate back down,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.
Even before Russia’s war further spurred price increases, robust consumer spending, steady pay raises and chronic supply shortages had sent U.S. consumer inflation to its highest level in four decades. In addition, housing costs, which make up about a third of the consumer price index, have escalated, a trend that seems unlikely to reverse anytime soon.
Economists point out that as the economy has emerged from the depths of the pandemic, consumers have been gradually broadening their spending beyond goods to include more services. A result is that high inflation, which at first had reflected mainly a shortage of goods — from cars and furniture to electronics and sports equipment — has been emerging in services, too, like travel, health care and entertainment.
The expected fast pace of the Fed’s rate increases will make loans sharply more expensive for consumers and businesses. Mortgage rates, in particular, though not directly influenced by the Fed, have rocketed higher in recent weeks, making home buying more expensive. Many economists say they worry that the Fed has waited too long to begin raising rates and might end up acting so aggressively as to trigger a recession.
For now, the economy as a whole remains solid, with unemployment near 50-year lows and job openings near record highs. Still, rocketing inflation, with its impact on Americans’ daily lives, is posing a political threat to President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies as they seek to keep control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Economists generally express doubt that even the sharp rate hikes that are expected from the Fed will manage to reduce inflation anywhere near the central bank’s 2% annual target by the end of this year. Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust, said he expects year-over-year consumer inflation to still be 4.5% by the end of 2022. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he had forecast a much lower 3% rate.
Inflation, which had been largely under control for four decades, began to accelerate last spring as the U.S. and global economies rebounded with unexpected speed and strength from the brief but devastating coronavirus recession that began in the spring of 2020.
The recovery, fueled by huge infusions of government spending and super-low interest rates, caught businesses by surprise, forcing them to scramble to meet surging customer demand. Factories, ports and freight yards struggled to keep up, leading to chronic shipping delays and price spikes.
Critics also blame, in part, the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion March 2021 stimulus program, which included $1,400 relief checks for most households, for helping overheat an already sizzling economy.
Many Americans have been receiving pay increases, but the pace of inflation has more than wiped out those gains for most people. In February, after accounting for inflation, average hourly wages fell 2.5% from a year earlier. It was the 11th straight monthly drop in inflation-adjusted wages. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/us-inflation-jumped-8-5-in-past-year-highest-since-1981/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:00Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/12/us-inflation-jumped-8-5-in-past-year-highest-since-1981/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Crumbl Cookies bringing mouth-watering treats to Middlesex County
NORTH BRUNSWICK – A popular cookie shop is coming to the township.
Crumbl Cookies is expected to open this summer at The Shoppes in North Brunswick, located along Route 1 and Route 130.
"We will be starting construction within the next couple of weeks," said Eileen Voyles, who owns the North Brunswick franchise with her family. “We'll be demolishing the existing space. We're expecting to open in early to mid-summer."
Crumbl is known for its rotating menu of cookies. Its two staples, a warm chocolate chip cookie and a chilled sugar cookie, are always for sale. But every week, Crumbl rolls out four specialty flavors with names such as Muddy Buddy, chilled Lemon Bar and Funfetti.
More:Popular cookie shop is coming to Menlo Park Mall
Voyles said she found out about Crumbl Cookies a few years ago.
"We are huge fans of the product," she said. "I'm also really impressed with Crumbl and their operations."
The Crumbl here will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8 am. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. The shop is closed Sundays.
Crumbl is on an expansion streak in the Garden State. A franchisee opened a bakery in Ocean, at Seaview Square shopping center, in January, the popular chain's first store in New Jersey. Customers lined up out the door to pick up boxes of the treats.
Since then, another has opened in Clark. A bakery also is planned for Cherry Hill.
Founded in 2017 with a first bakery in Logan, Utah, Crumbl now has more than 200 bakeries in 32 states. Its stores feature an open kitchen where customers can see the eggs cracked, the dough mixed and the cookies put in the oven.
Contributing: Staff writer David Willis
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/money/business/2022/04/12/crumbl-cookies-opening-soon-north-brunswick-nj/7275806001/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:25Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/money/business/2022/04/12/crumbl-cookies-opening-soon-north-brunswick-nj/7275806001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Veteran Hunterdon County Commissioner Matt Holt resigns. Here's why
FLEMINGTON – Leaving a legacy of fiscal conservatism over more than 15 years, Matt Holt announced his resignation from the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners.
Holt, who is in his sixth three-year term on the governing body, will leave the post on May 1.
The Hunterdon County Republican Committee will nominate three residents to replace Holt. The remaining commissioners on the all-Republican board will choose from among the three.
Saying his service on the municipal and county levels for 29 years has been a "labor of love," Holt explained that his decision came after he retired earlier this year from his job in the private sector.
“A while ago, Megan (his wife) and I purchased property outside of New Jersey, initially as a vacation home to visit from time to time," he said. "Having retired from a 45-year work career earlier this year, and after taking an extended vacation at that home, we have decided to spend much more time there than initially planned."
Because he will spend more time undertaking projects at the property, Holt said, "I feel that it is time to pass the baton and no longer serve on the Board of Commissioners."
Holt said maintaining Hunterdon County's conservative fiscal practices was one of the three major accomplishments of his time in office.
More:Here's proof that Hunterdon is one of the best places to live in the U.S., official says
The county's debt was eliminated during his tenure on the commission's budget committee.
"Actual real tax reduction was accomplished at the same time as the total elimination of debt," Holt said. "And not with the use of one-time gimmicks, but real long term sustainable spending reductions, accomplished by changing the thinking about spending in county government."
A second accomplishment, he said, was promoting the preservation of open space in the county by campaigning in 2008 for a referendum that ensured funds would be available for the program.
"You cannot buy and preserve land and not ensure that is properly maintained for the use in which it was intended," he said. "That would be like buying a car and never changing the oil."
Another accomplishment, Holt said, was the realization that Hunterdon County was changing, saying it was seen in "the ability to talk about the change in the county demographics and economy as far back as 2008, and to bring about the implementation and success of our economic development and tourism initiatives."
Holt also had an impact outside Hunterdon County.
For most of his time on the governing body, Holt also served on the executive board of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, and served as the chairman in 2012 and 2013.
Holt also represented Region 2, four states, on the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Regional Councils for two terms, and in 2014 was awarded the National Association of Regional Councils Bradley Leadership Award.
Holt said he will leave office confident that county officials will follow his practice of fiscal conservatism.
"I believe the effects of that work will be felt in a positive way for years long after my departure am gone," he said. "Every board seat has changed once and some twice since my joining the board. And yet, we have continued to work as a team, to never lose sight of the goal of proving that government can be run more efficiently, planning longer term, and with less tax dollars."
Holt, first elected as freeholder in 2006, previously served as a member of the Clinton Board of Education and as a member of the Town of Clinton Council from 1995 to 2003. He served as mayor in 2004-2005.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/hunterdon-county/2022/04/12/hunterdon-county-nj-commissioner-matt-holt-resigns/7276263001/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:31Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/hunterdon-county/2022/04/12/hunterdon-county-nj-commissioner-matt-holt-resigns/7276263001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Readington Republicans ready to rumble: Here's who's running for township committee
READINGTON – A three-term incumbent is facing a challenge from a former Assembly candidate in the Republican primary for a seat on the Readington Township Committee.
Incumbent Betty Ann Fort, who is backed by the township and county Republican organizations, will face off against Vinny Panico, who lost a race for a 16th District seat in the Assembly last year, in the June 7 primary.
Because Republicans greatly outnumber Democrats in the township, whoever wins the primary will be a heavy favorite to win the general election in November.
In his campaign announcement, Panico said he "will be able to bring a new voice to the table and represent those who are looking for energy in the township."
Panico served on the Readington Board of Education from 2012 to 2015 and as the township's representative on the Hunterdon Central Board of Education from 2015 to 2022. He was president of the Hunterdon Central board from 2018 to 2022.
"I want to bring a fresh perspective to the Readington Township Committee," Panico said.
Local:FX to film TV series at Readington farm
Fort, who previously served on the township Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment, listed among her township committee accomplishments the reduction of Readington's debt by a third and resolution of the long-running Solberg Airport litigation. She said she was also instrumental in reducing speed limits on Route 523 and establishing electronic speed signals at the Route 523 and Pleasant Run Road intersection.
"My experience has given me a full understanding of the challenges facing Readington and how to meet them," Fort said.
Fort said she will continue working to minimize the impact of court-mandated affordable housing on the township and working with the state to improve safety on Route 22.
Panico said he will act as a liaison between the Township Committee and the school boards and will "leverage" his political connections to help Readington.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/hunterdon-county/2022/04/12/readington-township-nj-republicans-vie-township-committee-seat/7276908001/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:37Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/hunterdon-county/2022/04/12/readington-township-nj-republicans-vie-township-committee-seat/7276908001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Middlesex County will shutter Johnson Park zoo but keep some animals
PISCATAWAY – The Johnson Park Animal Haven will close, with some animals relocated to other zoos or sanctuaries, while some may find a new home nearby.
Middlesex County unveiled a three-pronged plan last week for the future of the zoo in Johnson Park on River Road which was flooded during Hurricane Ida last September. The plan comes following a report done by French and Parrello Associates and Zoo Advisors who were hired in December to study the entire Middlesex County park system with a focus on its three animal havens.
Though most of the animals will be moved to sanctuaries or taken to zoos in other county parks, County Administrator John Pulomena said about a dozen animals will be moved to a new facility to be built next to East Jersey Olde Town Village as part of "a new and historic animal husbandry program."
East Jersey Olde Town Village, also on River Road in Piscataway, is the county's collection of historic structures from the 1700s and 1800s that offers exhibits, programs and living history.
These animals include Maggie the cow, who was recently moved to Merrill Park in Colonia, two thoroughbred horses, three goats and six chickens.
"The select group of animals will provide a platform for this historic animal husbandry program that dovetails into our Destination 2040 goals and professional planning recommendations and comprehensive assessments of the site," Pulomena said. "We are already in the process of building out the necessary needs for that and more information will follow as it becomes available."
More:Edison 10-year-old teaches Middlesex County commissioners lesson about zoo animals
Olde Town is not considered to be in the flood plain that encompasses Johnson Park where the Animal Haven is, Pulomena added.
Ashley Hartwik, founder of the Friends of Johnson Park Animals (FJPA), said the county’s plan is more positive than negative.
"The current zoo area will be dismantled," Hartwik said. "I was overjoyed that they did the right thing. You know, I think everyone knew that it was the right thing, but they wanted to make sure that they were following a process and a fact-finding report, so they got that. They tried to come up with a plan where they could still have animals at Johnson Park for the people that wanted animals there."
While advocates are concerned about housing animals in a husbandry program or at other county parks, the fact that several animals are slated to go to sanctuaries is "wonderful," Hartwik said, adding she hopes the county will quickly release animals to sanctuaries.
Several "vulnerable" Johnson Park animals have already been relocated to the zoos at Merrill Park and Thompson Park in Monroe, Pulomena said.
Animals headed to sanctuaries include Nippy the miniature horse, the red fox, raccoon and others including birds, white-tailed and fallow deer, pythons, iguana, rabbits, roosters and goats. On April 2, the county released four alpacas to Live Free Farm, an animal sanctuary in Montgomery. That brings the current total of animals already at sanctuaries to 11, Hartwik said.
Previously, the county released Milton the goat to Goats of Anarchy, Mamacita the goat and her two babies to R.J. Stokely, and two pigs and one ram to Uncle Neil's Home.
But FJPA members believe there are potential problems with the Olde Town plan.
"It will still be run by the same people who were responsible for the nightmare to the animals in Johnson Park," Hartwik said. "The area they want to put it in still floods, despite claims to the contrary. It will be extremely expensive for taxpayers. And after those specific animals pass, they plan to source more 'heritage' animals from a breeding farm to be put there. This husbandry program is not what the park needs. We will oppose the husbandry program too and try to get the rest of those animals released to sanctuaries."
The county said staffers will be sent to classes on how to properly take care of animals. That news was welcomed by the FJPA.
"One thing that's really important is that they clearly did make a genuine effort to accommodate all the sides of the issue," Hartwik said. "They really did try to accommodate the fact that some of the animals clearly do not belong there, like the wildlife. They accommodated the fact that the area the animals were in is a flood plain. They accommodated the fact that there are some individuals that wanted to still have animals in Johnson Park, so they they're now doing this historic husbandry program. They really did make an effort to accommodate as many different things as they could. And we still have concerns over some of it — I think the fine details have to be ironed out. But I appreciate that they've made that effort."
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2022/04/12/middlesex-county-shutter-johnson-park-zoo-but-keep-some-animals/9532191002/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:43Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2022/04/12/middlesex-county-shutter-johnson-park-zoo-but-keep-some-animals/9532191002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Perth Amboy takes big step in $283 million high school project
PERTH AMBOY – The $283.8 million Perth Amboy High School on Convery Boulevard moved a step closer to its planned 2024 opening with a ceremonial beam signing last week.
The New Jersey Schools Development Authority joined Perth Amboy Public Schools students and officials, along with state and local officials, for the event.
“This is an exciting time for Perth Amboy as the framework of the new high school takes shape and the community can begin to envision the lasting impact this facility will have for thousands of students in the years to come,” said Schools Development Authority CEO Manuel Da Silva.
The new high school will be a three-story, 576,000 square-foot-facility designed to educate a maximum of 3,300 students in grades 9-12.
More:NJ spending $200M to help crowded schools but has no long-term plan for most SDA districts
“This ceremony marks another milestone in the largest project undertaken by the New Jersey School Development Authority,” said Perth Amboy Superintendent of Schools David Roman. “The future of this school district is promising. Our collective signatures placed upon this beam today is a pledge and commitment that we have earnestly been entrusted to leave a future foundation for generations to come."
In addition to general classrooms and science labs, the school will include specialized educational spaces such as an automotive lab, culinary arts lab, black box studio, dance studio, ROTC classroom, world languages classroom, life skills lab and a day care center.
The school is being built on an 11.63-acre site that formerly housed the Delaney Homes federal housing complex. Perth Amboy Public Schools purchased the land from the Perth Amboy Housing Authority for $7.4 million in 2016 and then the district demolished the pre-existing structures on the site.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2022/04/12/perth-amboy-nj-takes-big-step-283-million-high-school-project/7274764001/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:49Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2022/04/12/perth-amboy-nj-takes-big-step-283-million-high-school-project/7274764001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
5 top prospects who could play against the Somerset Patriots in 2022
READING, Pa. – While the Eastern League isn’t quite as prospect-loaded this year as it was last, when five of the current top 10 prospects in all of baseball according to Baseball America rolled through the one-off Double-A Northeast League, there’s certainly no shortage of top talent that’s set to come through the visiting clubhouse at TD Bank Ballpark this season.
Ironically enough, the top prospect set to visit Bridgewater this year will be Anthony Volpe, ranked 10th overall and the Yankees’ number one prospect; he’ll be Somerset’s everyday shortstop and leadoff man for, at minimum, the majority of this year.
But here are five prospects to watch who’ll be in the third-base dugout throughout the season this year, as well as details on just when you’ll be able to see them come to town.
Volpe, Medina, a new manager and more: Storylines to watch for the 2022 Somerset Patriots
Logan O’Hoppe, catcher, Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies)
A West Islip, New York native, O’Hoppe is considered to be Philadelphia’s best catching prospect, and was one of the best hitters Somerset faced in its season-opening series in Reading this past weekend; the 22-year-old notably turned in a 3-for-4 performance with a double and an RBI on Saturday night.
Still an under-the-radar prospect in the game as a whole, likely in large part to being a 23rd round draft pick back in 2018, O’Hoppe earned a brief call-up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season – he’s actually blocked from a similar move as of right now by former Somerset fan favorite Donny Sands this year – and told MyCentralJersey.com that six-game stint helped motivate him even further to reach his big league dreams.
More:All eyes on Yankees' top prospect Anthony Volpe as Somerset Patriots season begins
“The closer you get, the more and more that fire burns a little bit under yourself,” he said. “To get a little bit of a taste of that in big league camp this year and in Triple-A, being that close, it was really good, and it gave me something to keep chasing. I’m happy I got that experience for sure.”
TD Bank Ballpark visit: May 17-22, July 22-24
Francisco Alvarez, catcher, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)
The youngest player to start the season in Double-A according to Baseball America, Alvarez, like Volpe, is just 20 years old and has already moved through his respective farm system quickly. Regarded as one of the top catching prospects in the game, notably behind Adley Rutschman and Gabriel Moreno, who both came through Somerset as visitors last year, Alvarez smashed 22 homers with High-A Brooklyn last year en route to becoming the Mets top ranked prospect.
He isn’t alone in top prospects to watch on the Rumble Ponies roster, however. Infielders Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, ranked second and third, respectively, also opened the year in Binghamton.
TD Bank Ballpark visit: August 2-7
Daniel Espino, pitcher, Akron Rubberducks (Guardians)
There are many who believe Espino will end the season as baseball’s best pitching prospect, a title that currently belongs to Grayson Rodriguez, who came through town last year and formed a battery with Rutschman on the Bowie Baysox.
Just 21 years old, Espino first burst onto the amateur scene with the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series at its International Week in 2018 just as Rodriguez did one year before him and has developed into one of the game’s top young starters since; he routinely touched triple digits with his fastball, and uses a curveball, changeup, slider mix. He grew up in Panama idolizing Mariano Rivera and has worn 42 at various stages of his career as a result.
TD Bank Ballpark visit: June 7-12
Gunnar Henderson, shortstop, Bowie Baysox (Orioles)
Baltimore’s second-round pick in 2019, Henderson is currently rated as their fourth-best prospect behind only Rutschman, Rodriguez and pitcher D.L. Hall, who pitched in the NEL last season.
Considered to be a “bat-first shortstop,” the 20-year-old moved quickly through the system last year, starting in Low-A and ending up with the Baysox before the year was over, hitting .258 with 18 homers and 85 RBI between three stops.
TD Bank Ballpark visit: July 4, 6-10
Brayan Bello, pitcher, Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox)
Boston’s top pitching prospect, Bello was an international free agent signing by Boston back in 2016 who has made a slow, but steady climb and figures to potentially reach the big leagues by the end of this season.
A hard-throwing righty who touches the upper 90s, Bello made 15 starts last season for the Sea Dogs, including one in early August at TD Bank Ballpark in which he largely shut down Somerset’s offense to the tune of allowing just one run through six innings of work, striking out nine batters while walking none.
TD Bank Ballpark visit: April 26-May 1, September 13-18 | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/baseball/patriots/2022/04/12/somerset-patriots-5-prospects-who-could-visit-2022-season/7279589001/ | 2022-04-12T13:39:55Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/baseball/patriots/2022/04/12/somerset-patriots-5-prospects-who-could-visit-2022-season/7279589001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Volpe, Medina, a new manager and more: Storylines to watch for the 2022 Somerset Patriots
READING, Pa. – The sense of confidence that was overwhelming at nearly every turn at Somerset Patriots media day carried over to their season-opening series against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, where they fell two innings short pulling off the sweep heading into Tuesday’s home opener set for 6:35 p.m. against the Erie Seawolves at TD Bank Ballpark.
While it’s certainly too early to tell based off one series, Somerset once again looked like a championship contender, using a prospect-heavy lineup and strong starting pitching to get off to take two out of three games this past weekend.
There will be plenty of interest in the Patriots as a whole this season, but specifically on Watchung native Anthony Volpe, a top 10 prospect in baseball who’s debuting in Double-A at just 20 years old.
Here's who's coming to town:5 top prospects who could play against the Somerset Patriots in 2022
Here are five storylines to keep an eye on in Somerset this year, with their young shortstop leading the way.
Is Anthony Volpe the real deal?
So far, yes, but only time will tell if he’s truly able to handle the pressures of a big year in his development all while playing close to home. Volpe opened the year in Reading by going 3-for-12 (.250) with four runs scored, a double, an RBI, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and three strikeouts.
He also made several outstanding plays on the left side of the infield but is perhaps saving the truly jaw-dropping moments at the plate for his home debut, where the former Delbarton standout is sure to have a significant cheering section.
More:All eyes on Yankees' top prospect Anthony Volpe as Somerset Patriots season begins
Can new manager Dan Fiorito lead this team to a championship?
Just 31 years old, Dan Fiorito was named the fourth manager in franchise history just weeks ago, and has already set a very different tone in many ways than his predecessor, Julio Mosquera, who left the organization to take a catching coordinator role with the Chicago White Sox.
That’s a compliment to the Yonkers, New York native, who has been able to relate to his players early on as a younger skipper, but has also been given an impressive, but deep roster to work with to start out the season. While most eyes will be on Volpe, Brandon Lockridge, Elijah Dunham and Josh Breaux, Saturday’s 11-2 win in Reading might be the most indicative of some early successes under Fiorito’s watch.
Backup catcher Rodolfo Duran and reserve infielder Oliver Dunn both turned in huge performances – Duran homered against his old team, while Dunn went 3-for-3 with three doubles before being removed for precautionary reasons with an injury – to help produce an overall team win with some of the Opening Day starters on the bench for the day.
“I feel like one of the great strengths of this team is no matter who I throw in there, they’re going to give us great at-bats and really strong defense,” Fiorito said after the win. “Guys were contributing from all ends, which was great.”
How will the bullpen factor in?
If there was anything concerning out of the opening weekend trip to Reading, it was some shaky performances out of the bullpen, notably on Sunday, when two relievers combined to allow five runs in 4 1/3 innings after a spotless start from Randy Vasquez.
An unquestioned strength of last year’s team – the Somerset bullpen was where current Yankees Ron Marinaccio and J.P. Sears honed their craft to start the season, as well as current Scranton closer Greg Weissert – it remains to be seen if a few bumps in the road this past weekend were just that, or indicative of larger struggles.
Can Luis Medina put it all together?
The starting rotation this season in Somerset will be one to watch as a whole, but particularly Medina, who is considered to be the Yankees third-best pitching prospect by Baseball America.
Friday’s Opening Day start was not an encouraging one – he turned in a 1-2-3 first inning with two strikeouts before getting pulled one frame later after four walks – and seemed to carry over a lot of what he showed last year in Somerset after a mid-season call-up to the Double-A level from what was then Fiorito’s High-A Hudson Valley squad; flashes of greatness mixed with bouts of being unable to locate over long stretches.
“He just lost command,” Fiorito said on Friday. “He came out in that first inning and he looked like Luis Medina. I saw 100 (mph) on the scoreboard. Second inning, things kind of got away from him a little bit … we’re confident in Medina heading back out there next time.”
Who can come up and help once players start getting promoted?
That Hudson Valley roster this year is very much so one to keep an eye on for Patriots fans, as there’s never a shortage of movement in the organization from top to bottom.
The Renegades, now managed by Fiorito’s good friend, Tyson Blaser, have a very prospect-heavy group this year, led by catcher Austin Wells and infielder Trey Sweeney, first-rounders in the 2020 and 2021 drafts, respectively.
It wouldn’t be unexpected for either to end up in Somerset by the end of the season, with highly touted outfield prospect Everson Pereira and arms Matt Sauer, Will Warren and Beck Way also in the mix depending on how aggressive the Yankees and farm director Kevin Reese want to be with their promotions.
As for Jasson Dominguez? “The Martian” won’t turn 20 years old until February, and it seems highly unlikely he’d see Somerset until 2023 at the earliest, although a late-season promotion to High-A doesn’t seem out of the question. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/baseball/patriots/2022/04/12/somerset-patriots-5-storylines-watch-2022-season/7279889001/ | 2022-04-12T13:40:01Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/baseball/patriots/2022/04/12/somerset-patriots-5-storylines-watch-2022-season/7279889001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hall of Fame girls basketball coach retires after 46 seasons and 750 victories
After 46 seasons, 750 victories and nearly three dozen championships, Kathy Matthews has called it a career as the head coach of the Union Catholic High School girls basketball team, retiring third on the all-time coaching wins list NJ girls hoops history.
Matthews, 68, who took over a fledgling Vikings program in 1977, quickly building the club into one of the top teams in the state, will remain involved at UC in a capacity other than coaching. But the time has come, she said, for her to take a step back from the day-to-day grind of running a program. And while the she gets a lot of the credit for the job she’s done over nearly five decades at the Scotch Plains school, she is quick to point out that she didn’t do it alone.
“I have to thank my coaches, my players, the administration, and the talent,” Matthews said. “We’ve had some really talented players and the program accomplished a lot. You don’t do that if you don’t have the staff that you had and the players that you had, and you don’t have the backing of the community at UC that you had. All of that plays into it, because it all plays into a positive atmosphere.”
The prime example, Matthews said, was this year team. It wasn’t the most successful year the Vikings have had during her tenure, finishing 3-18, but for Matthews, success goes far beyond numbers on a scoreboard.
“They didn’t implode. They liked each other. We went through all the adversity together, and they were great teammates to each other,” Matthews said. “So, regardless of the situation, they played hard. They didn’t give up. We knew what we were, and we tried to make the best of it, and that doesn’t always happen. They showed a lot of character.”
Matthews retires with a career record of 750-368, with her final win coming Feb. 21 in a 35-22 over Saint Dominic, that not only featured post-game festivities to mark the milestone, but Matthews said the best part was the number of people who made the trip to Jersey City to help celebrate the mark.
The coach led the Vikings to 13 conference titles, eight Union County championships, five sectional crowns, and three state championships, including a third straight in 1989 with a team that went to the inaugural Tournament of Championship final, falling in overtime to Hoffmann.
“Kathy is an icon in high school basketball,” said New Providence girls basketball coach Cap Pazdera, who just completed his 17th season at the helm. “From the championships she led her teams to win, to her 46 years of inspiring her teams to greatness both on and off of the basketball court, to her 750 wins, she has given her all to her players her program and Union Catholic. I am honored to have coached against her these past few years and will cherish the wisdom she shared with me. And I will always try to emulate her commitments and compassion to her players and the sport of basketball.”
A graduate of J.F. Kennedy High School in Iselin, where she played softball and tennis, Matthews went to Kean University, ironically, for her tennis skills, but not only played four years on the courts, but two years of softball. She also got her first taste of basketball, playing hoops for three years with the Cougars.
After college, she served as the JV girls basketball coach at J.F. Kennedy, later returning to Kean to guide the softball program for four years, and that’s where, she said, she realized that hoops was the path she wanted her career to follow. She moved over to Union Catholic, even serving as the boys tennis coach there for a couple of years, and turned the struggling program into a powerhouse.
“I just fell in love with basketball, and thought, ‘Wow, this is really what I want to do,” Matthews said. “So, I walked away from Kean after four year and committed myself to developing the best program I could.”
Matthews, who is a member of the Woodbridge Township Hall of Fame, the Union Catholic Hall of Fame, the Kean University Hall of Fame, and the NJSIAA Coaches Association Hall of Fame, said that while all the wins and titles are nice, what she is most proud of has nothing to do with statistics or banners.
“It’s the camaraderie with the kids,” Matthews said. “It’s watching them grow. Not only during my four years of coaching them, but what they achieve in their lives and successful they’ve been. And they see the program in being instrumental in helping them get there. It’s not about the wins, it’s not about the championships. It’s about seeing young people be successful in life. Learning how to deal with life through sports. How to deal with adversity and how to be resilient. And seeing that they see the program and myself being instrumental in that. That’s the most important thing.”
Staff writer Simeon Pincus can be reached at SPincus@Gannett.com and at CNGirlsHoops@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SimeonPincusCN | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2022/04/12/hall-fame-girls-basketball-coach-retires-after-46-years-and-750-wins/7279527001/ | 2022-04-12T13:40:07Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2022/04/12/hall-fame-girls-basketball-coach-retires-after-46-years-and-750-wins/7279527001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm said he let his emotions get the best of him when he dropped an F-bomb in Philadelphia’s 5-4 comeback win against the Mets on Monday.
After the game, Bohm apologized for being caught on camera saying, “I f–king hate this place” to Phillies teammate Didi Gregorius, apparently referring to Philadelphia.
Bohm appeared frustrated after hearing sarcastic cheers from fans at Citizens Bank Park, when he made a routine play at third at the top of the second. The taunting came after he committed two throwing errors.
Cameras captured a closeup of Bohm during the heated moment, which he was asked about after the game.
“Look, emotions got the best of me. I said it. Do I mean it? No,” Bohm told reporters. “It’s a frustrating night for me, obviously. Made a few mistakes in the field.
“Look, these people, these fans, they just want to win. You heard it, we come back, they’re great. I’m just sorry to them. I don’t mean that and emotions just got the best of me.”
When asked by a reporter, “So you actually love this place?” Bohm smiled and said, “You know what, yeah I do.”
Phillies manager Joe Girardi said, “I think it’s a kid that was frustrated. I don’t think that kid was referring to, you know, the city of Philadelphia, the fans. I think he was referring to the situation he was in.
“Put yourself in his shoes. That’s got to be a tough place. I told him I’ve been there. I’ve had three passed balls. I’ve had passed balls to lose a game. In that situation, you hate everything. Think about what he was feeling. It’s not a fun situation.”
Bohm made three errors at third base in the first three innings. His first occurred when he charged a ball that bounced off Ranger Suarez’s glove and threw wildly to right field.
His second error in the second inning was on a routine grounder that he threw over first baseman Rhys Hoskins and into foul territory. Bohm’s third error was a throw that forced Hoskins off the bag.
Bohm’s struggles came at a time when he’s fighting for the third base job over rookie Bryson Stott. The 25-year-old Bohm was selected by the Phillies with the third pick in the 2018 draft out of Wichita State University and was considered one of the jewels of the Phillies farm system before his arrival in the big leagues.
Before Monday’s win over the Mets, Girardi said he decided to start Bohm over Scott because of previous success against Mets starter Taijuan Walker.
“He’s had success off of Walker. And as I said, they’re both going to play. I think it’s important they both play,” Girardi said.
The Phillies trailed 4-0 before they scored five runs in the eighth against two Mets relievers for a stunning comeback.
Philadelphia plays host to the Mets Tuesday and Wednesday to complete a three-game series between the NL East rivals. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/alec-bohm-says-i-f-king-hate-this-place-after-phillies-fans-mocking/ | 2022-04-12T13:41:48Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/alec-bohm-says-i-f-king-hate-this-place-after-phillies-fans-mocking/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The final four teams in this year’s Champions League will be decided Wednesday as quarterfinal play concludes this week.
One team – Liverpool – has virtually secured its spot in the penultimate round after handing Benfica a 3-1 defeat in the opening leg. But, the remaining three ties are still up for grabs.
With that in mind, here are my two best bets for the second legs of the quarterfinals. All odds are subject to change and are reflective at the time of writing.
New customers only. Must be 21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. Full T&C apply.
New users only, 21 or older. NY, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Full T&Cs apply.
21+. New customers only. NY, AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. T&C apply
New players only, 21 or older. Available in CO, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV only. Full T&C apply.
New players only, 21+. NY, NJ, MI, AZ, VA only. In order to participate in this promotion, the player needs to make a first deposit (of at least $10). Full T&C apply.
21+. New customers only. NY, AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. T&C apply
Best Bet #1 – Chelsea Draw, No Bet (-104 ) vs. Real Madrid
Real Madrid fleeced the Blues 3-1 in the opening leg at Stamford Bridge, but I believe there are positives to take from that fixture for Chelsea.
The 2021 Champions League victors outshot its opponent 20-8, had more touches in the penalty area (24-8), and generated more shot-creating actions (32-11) than Real Madrid, per fbref.com. Additionally, the sides were level on big scoring chances and Chelsea won the expected goal battle in the second half (0.92-0.78) despite losing the half 1-0, per fotmob.com.
Of further encouragement is the fact Chelsea seemingly rediscovered some positive form over the weekend. In its 6-0 victory at Southampton, Chelsea created 4.4 expected goals, conceded only 0.5, and won the big scoring chances battle 9-1.
Plus, Real Madrid will be facing a notable absence in defense: Eder Militao. Without the Brazil international in the lineup, Los Blancos are allowing 0.78 expected goals per 90 more than with him on the pitch.
FanDuel has Chelsea to win with a tie resulting in a push set at -104.
Additionally, Real Madrid has drastically overperformed its underlying metrics recently. In its last six matches, manager Carlo Ancelotti’s side owns a +6 goal differential, but only a +1.3 expected goal differential. That trend is also indicative of Real’s Champions League performance as it holds a +14 goal differential through nine matches, but only a +5.3 xGDiff.
Although I’m not sure Chelsea can make up a two-goal deficit, back it to get a result at the Bernabeu.
Best Bet #2 – Bayern Munich/Villarreal Both Teams to Score + Over 2.5 Goals (-106)
Villarreal emerged from the first leg with a 1-0 home victory, but the underlying metrics suggest this match should have featured more goals.
Both teams combined for 3.1 expected goals while also combining for three big scoring chances and 34 total shots, per fotmob.com. Additionally, Bayern and Villarreal combined for 63 penalty area touches, including 39 from the Bavarian outfit. That is the highest total for Bayern in the knockout round and the second-largest output in all nine Bayern Champions League fixtures this campaign.
Further, Bayern Munich is far superior offensively at home, so I expect it to dominate. In 19 Bundesliga + UCL fixtures, the perennial German champions average 2.73 expected goals per 90 minutes. In 19 road Bundesliga + UCL fixtures this season, that average drops to 2.45 xG/90 minutes. Just in four home UCL fixtures, manager Julian Nagelsmann’s side has created 3.18 xG/90.
This one-game parlay can be bet at BetMGM.
Check out the best sports betting sites and apps
- Check out the best sports betting sites
- Download the best sports betting apps
But, this is simultaneously a Villarreal side that knows how to generate scoring chances. Through nine UCL fixtures, manager Unai Emery’s side has generated at least one expected goal in eight and the fourth-most big scoring chances of the eight remaining sides.
Given the Spanish outfit has only been held goalless in one Champions League fixture this season, expect production from both sides in a high-scoring contest. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/champions-league-best-bets-pulisic-chelsea-real-madrid/ | 2022-04-12T13:42:07Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/champions-league-best-bets-pulisic-chelsea-real-madrid/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Disturbing new details have emerged from the scene where Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed by a dump truck on a Florida highway.
While investigators have thus far declined to answer questions about the crash and will only release information after the case is closed, a witness – local resident Chris Stanley – told the Columbus Dispatch that he believes he saw the late quarterback on the highway before the collision, noticing vehicles veering into his lane.
“And what I noticed was a Mack truck, or a big tractor-trailer, with also another vehicle that started moving a little bit to the left,” Stanley said. “I was in the left lane and then there was the right lane. And then I noticed an individual there starting to make their way onto the road.
“He was about halfway, to a quarter way in the right lane, already onto the highway and I was already concerned that somebody was going to strike him right there at that moment,” he continued, noting that he saw the man raising his arms.
The accident happened around 6:37 a.m. on I-595 West at the I-95 interchange outside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
“I did not see any vehicle nearby. I was more concerned with him because he was already making his way onto the road system … That’s why it’s just very disturbing. I just didn’t understand the situation,” Stanley said.
Haskins was pronounced dead on the scene. He was 24.
The quarterback was a standout at Ohio State, throwing for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns during a stellar 2018 season. He was drafted in the first round by Washington, but was released during his second year. He then signed with the Steelers last season and was now slated to compete for a backup position behind the newly-signed Mitchell Trubisky.
Haskins was training in Miami with several of his Steelers teammates before his tragic death. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/dwayne-haskins-highway-accident-very-disturbing-details-emerge/ | 2022-04-12T13:42:19Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/dwayne-haskins-highway-accident-very-disturbing-details-emerge/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This skate venue is ready for takeoff.
JFK Airport’s TWA Hotel is set to open its Roll-A-Rama skating venue for the second year in a row this weekend.
Located beneath Connie, the retro lodging’s restored 1958 Lockheed Constellation airplane-turned-cocktail lounge, the 44-by-56-foot Runway Rink will be open weekends from this Friday, April 15, through Nov. 1 from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays, weather permitting.
“Capacity is limited, and tickets are available on a first come, first served basis,” noted the rink’s website. “Tickets cannot be purchased in advance and can only be purchased with a credit card.”
Skate sessions are 50 minutes long and cost $20 per adult and $16 per under-12-year-old child. Four-wheel skate rentals — which are disinfected every usage — are included in the price of admission, and those who have their own pair are welcome to bring them. A limited number of helmets are also available for rent, although skaters are encouraged to bring their own. Socks are mandatory and can be brought from home or bought at the hotel. A full line of TWA-branded merchandise is also available for purchase on the hotel’s online shop.
In addition to the seasonal, 2,668-tile rink, the “experiential” TWA Hotel also features a variety of vintage 1960s cars parked throughout, a Twister Room and a series of interactive pop-up museum exhibits curated by The New York Historical Society, including a 1962 living room recreation. Food options also includes The Sunken Lounge, which overlooks the rink, and Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Paris Café.
The 512-room hotel and temporary skate venue reopened as an homage to its former self in 2019, after sitting unused since 2001.
The 200,000-square-foot concrete-and-glass terminal first opened in 1962, yet while considered a masterpiece of modern design it was “functionally obsolete the day it opened” as it was designed for old-school propeller planes and not jets, developer Tyler Morse told The Post in 2019. The terminal thus struggled to handle plane traffic through the entirety of its existence until TWA eventually shut it down at the turn of the century. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/jfk-airports-twa-hotel-runway-roller-skating-rink-is-back/ | 2022-04-12T13:42:44Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/jfk-airports-twa-hotel-runway-roller-skating-rink-is-back/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“American Idol” frontrunner Kenedi Anderson’s time on the hit singing competition series has come to an end.
The 17-year-old contestant got into the Top 24 for season 20 of the ABC series. However, on Monday, she took to social media to share that she decided to drop out of the musical race.
Her Top 24 performance was pre-taped and aired on Sunday. She sang a moving cover of Christina Perri’s hit tune, “Human.”
“For personal reasons, I’m unable to continue on ‘American Idol.’ This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s necessary,” Anderson wrote.
She continued on Instagram, “I’m so grateful to ‘American Idol,’ the judges, the producers, the amazing contestants, and all the fans who have supported me.”
“Thank you for giving me such an amazing opportunity to share my voice, chase my dreams, feel so much joy and happiness doing what I love, and make lifelong friends along the way,” the teen added.
While she did not address her issues specifically, fans still showered her with love in the comments. “So sad but sending you love,” one user wrote. Another chimed in, “BABE YOU BETTER COME BACK! I hope everything’s alright!!!”
During the pre-taped episode, host Ryan Seacrest addressed Anderson’s performance.
“You might have noticed that there was no voting information during Kenedi’s performance just now,” he said at the time of the show. “Since we taped these shows in Hawaii earlier, Kenedi has decided to withdraw from our show for personal reasons. We send her well wishes.”
In a statement to People, “American Idol” producer Fremantle Media said: “We are disappointed to see Kenedi leave, but we are excited to watch this celebratory 20th season unfold with the incredible talent vying to be the next American Idol.”
Anderson was a fan favorite to win, as she had scored a platinum ticket from judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
She first wowed the trio with her piano cover of Lady Gaga’s “Applause” during the show’s auditions.
The judges immediately were shocked by her amazing performance and lavished her with praise.
“I mean, my head is spinning,” Bryan, 45, said following her audition. Perry, 37, then gushed, “I’m threatened! They’re younger, they’re prettier, they sing really good! I don’t know how you haven’t been recruited. You check every box. And a lot of all of them. Get ready to become your own hero.”
The Post has reached out to “American Idol”’s production company for comment. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/kenedi-anderson-exits-american-idol-for-personal-reasons/ | 2022-04-12T13:42:50Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/12/kenedi-anderson-exits-american-idol-for-personal-reasons/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
aquarius
Cosmic activity in the money area of your chart makes you indifferent to anything of a financial or business nature. In a way it’s good that you don’t care so much about the material side of life but don’t neglect it completely – you’ve still got to eat!
January 20 - February 18
pisces
Luck planet Jupiter combines with your ruler Neptune, and in your sign as well, making this potentially one of the very best days of the year. What are you going to do with it? Put a name to your number one dream, then make it come true.
February 19 - March 20
aries
You always take life seriously but the planets urge you to be a bit more laidback now. You may think you need to rush here, there and everywhere to stay on top of life but you don’t. Ease up a touch over the next 24 hours.
March 21 - April 19
taurus
It may look to the rest of the world that you are always super sure of yourself but you have doubts like everyone else and some of those doubts are beginning to show. But what of it? Let friends and loved ones see your vulnerable side today.
April 20 - May 20
gemini
There have been times of late when it looked as if the whole world was against you but what happens over the next 24 hours will remind you that you still have plenty of friends. Even on the work front employers and colleagues will treat you with kindness.
May 21 - June 20
cancer
Cosmic activity in your fellow Water sign of Pisces urges you to give up trying to control each and every situation you encounter. That applies as much to your social life as it does to your career. You’re among friends, so why be defensive?
June 21 - July 22
leo
It’s not often you show your softer, gentler side to the world – you wouldn’t want your rivals and enemies to get the wrong idea – but you should do so now. Anyone who needs your support will get it with no questions asked. You’re Mister Nice Guy today.
July 23 - August 22
virgo
You may have had your doubts about a certain person’s honesty in the past but the planets indicate there is no reason to mistrust them now. On the contrary, if you let them do something important for you they will make a thoroughly good job of it.
August 23 - September 22
libra
You need to keep routine tasks to a minimum today because your mind is unlikely to be on your work and any small mistakes you make could end up having very big consequences. Why not reward yourself with a day off – you’ve certainly earned it.
September 23 - October 22
scorpio
Jupiter and Neptune combine in the most dynamic area of your chart today, so your creative abilities will be much in evidence. If there is something of an artistic nature you want to pursue then just go for it – you don’t have to ask anyone’s permission.
October 23 - November 21
sagittarius
You will be extraordinarily open to alternative viewpoints today, so much so that some people may think you are going soft. That’s a bit unkind as you are not really that fixed in your opinions. Be adventurous both in mind and in body.
November 22 - December 21
capricorn
You don’t have to be afraid of the unknown. In fact you should embrace it. The current planetary picture is very much in your favor, so be open to new possibilities and be ready to take a few risks – it’s highly unlikely you will regret it.
December 22 - January 19 | https://nypost.com/web-stories/daily-horoscope-april-12-2022/ | 2022-04-12T13:43:50Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/web-stories/daily-horoscope-april-12-2022/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ELLENSBURG, WA - April is sexual assault awareness month and Central Washington University is participating in the National Clothesline Project, which allows each t-shirt created to tell a different story.
The purpose of the clothesline project is to increase awareness of sexual assault and allow victims to feel they have support.
"We know that sexual assault is very common in our society," said Katie Parks the Health Promotion Coordinator for Violence Prevention and Response at Central Washington University. "1 in 6 American women will experience sexual assault at some point in their lifetime and so the whole goal of sexual assault awareness month is to bring awareness to this issue in our society and also to talk about the efforts we can take to support survivors of sexual assault and also prevent sexual assault from happening."
Nationally, 13% of all graduate and undergraduate students experience sexual assault of some kind, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, otherwise known as RAINN.
One in four college women has survived rape or attempted rape in their lifetime, according to One in Four, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of rape. That's why CWU wanted to participate in the visual display to increase awareness of the impact of violence and abuse and honor survivors' strength.
"It can just be a way of expressing this thing that they went through and how they are working towards healing and finding hope," said Parks. "Finding peace and finding support from others as well."
I spoke with a student at CWU who told me they have been through sexual harassment, so knowing resources are available to students helps when his friends can't be there for him.
"It's always good to know that there is a place to go to like if you have nowhere else to go and you just need immediate resources for anything it's good to know the wellness center is right here in the SURC," said Brian McDarment an Accounting Major at CWU. "But for me personally, I have a good network of friends, so that's where I would typically turn to first."
McDarment said a good support system is something everyone needs to get through tough situations.
"No matter what you're going through there's a lot of mixed emotions but you don't have to figure out everything on your own you can always reach out to somebody whether it's a close friend or even someone who's you know," said McDarment. "Like someone at the wellness center who's specifically trying to help people in those situations. Just reach out and somebody who is capable and has those skills can help you out and carry some of that burden for you."
Recently, sexual assault has been talked about more in society, some students say bringing up sexual assault was a taboo topic before, so it is nice to see CWU is recognizing it.
"It was frond upon for that person and not the other person and I'm glad that it's like turning around and people are trying to be like 'hey maybe we should stop this' you know? It's not a good look on anybody," said Jessica Perrine a Graphic Design major at CWU. "Especially since the person who gets assaulted, it's not even their fault."
With the clothesline project, each shirt is made by a survivor of violence or by someone who has lost a loved one to violence, the clothesline project will be displayed all month in the SURC.
Resources at CWU:
CWU Prevention, Advocacy, Training, and Healing (P.A.T.H.)
- 509-963-3213
- PATH@cwu.edu
- Free, confidential advocacy for CWU students who have been impacted by interpersonal violence (sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and/or harassment)
CWU Student Counseling Services
- 509-963-1391
- Free, confidential counseling for CWU students
- https://timely.md/schools/index.html?school=wildcatcare365&
- Free, virtual counseling for CWU students
Resources for Ellensburg & Yakima:
Aspen Victim Advocacy Services
- 24/7 Hotline (Kittitas County): 509-925-9384
- 24/7 Hotline (Yakima County): 509-452-9675
- Free, confidential advocacy available in Kittitas and Yakima Counties
Resources in Tri-cities:
The Support, Advocacy & Resource Center (SARC)
(509) 374-5391
Resources Nationally:
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
- 24/7 Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- Live chat: www.rainn.org
- Free, confidential hotline for anyone who has experienced sexual assault
National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 24/7 Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Live chat: www.thehotline.org
- Free, confidential hotline for anyone who has experienced domestic violence
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- www.nsvrc.org/saam
- Information about how to get involved during Sexual Assault Awareness Month | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/central-washington-university-participates-in-the-national-clothesline-project-for-sexual-assault-awareness-month/article_fad60fd0-ba5a-11ec-80da-a3306796b921.html | 2022-04-12T13:44:07Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/central-washington-university-participates-in-the-national-clothesline-project-for-sexual-assault-awareness-month/article_fad60fd0-ba5a-11ec-80da-a3306796b921.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Which industries get the most (and least) time off?
(Timetastic/Stacker) - Most private industry workers in the United States receive paid time off, but it is not required under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Timetastic used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last updated in September 2021, to illustrate which industries offer the best access to paid vacation time. We’ve ranked industries according to the percentage of workers who have access to paid vacations, with ties broken by the number of days off a person receives after working in the industry for a year.
Data is available for workers who have consolidated leave plans (CLP), which are blanket time-off policies that do not distinguish between vacation, illness, or personal business days, and those who do not.
Nationwide, about three-quarters of all private industry workers receive paid time off, or PTO. Two weeks is the average offering for companies with CLP. More full-time workers get paid-time-off than part-time workers: 46% and 35%, respectively.
Larger companies tend to be more generous. At companies with 500 workers or more, 92% of workers have access to paid vacations. That compares to 71% at smaller companies of up to 49 employees.
Union members were also found to get 26.6% more vacation time than nonunion workers as more PTO is typically negotiated when settling union contracts.
Companies such as Netflix have even turned to an entirely different model: unlimited PTO. This gives employees the opportunity to take time off at will within reason.
But with U.S. workers already leaving 4.6 vacation days unused in 2021 on average, unlimited PTO may result in employees taking even less time off than average.
#10. Leisure and hospitality
- Workers with access to PTO: 43%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 9 days (CLP) 6 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 13 days (CLP), 9 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 15 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 16 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
The leisure and hospitality industry—made up of hotel clerks, restaurant cooks, casino workers, and a host of other positions—was hit exceptionally hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Hotel and Lodging Association found it lost as many jobs as government, health services, construction, retail, manufacturing, and education combined.
While workers in this industry tend to accrue more PTO after being with a company for more than a year, the turnover rate works against employees here: BLS data shows turnover in the hospitality industry hovers as high as 80% annually. versus 10%-15% across all industries.
The unemployment rate for this industry in February 2022 was 6.6%, compared to the national jobless rate of 3.8%.
#9. Trade, transportation, and utilities
- Workers with access to PTO: 81%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 11 days (CLP), 7 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 16 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 19 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 23 days (CLP), 18 days (no consolidated leave)
The trade, transportation, and utilities industry is large and varied, from jobs in lumber yards to hauling cargo. Paid leave—which includes vacation time, holidays, sick leave, and personal leave—can cost employers up to 8.5% of a workers’ total compensation.
In Texas, these jobs contributed nearly 20% of the state’s GDP in 2016, at $317.3 billion; making trade, transportation, and utilities among the highest-grossing in the state.
#8. Professional and business services
- Workers with access to PTO: 81%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 14 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 18 days (CLP), 13 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 20 days (CLP), 16 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 22 days (CLP), 18 days (no consolidated leave)
Paid vacations are available to the vast number of employees in this field, which include advertising, law, accounting firms, architecture companies, management consulting companies, and others.
Americans often don’t always take the time they are entitled to. Some 70% of owners of small businesses, in particular, do not view holidays as a time to take away from work. According to the U.S. Travel Association, U.S. workers left 4.6 days unused in 2021, and 5.6 days unused in 2020, which contributed largely to burnout.
A 2016 Harvard Business Review article cited a study finding that for the first time more than half of Americans did not take all of their vacations. The article also noted workers who used more than 10 of their days off had a 65.4% chance of getting a raise or a bonus.
#7. Construction
- Workers with access to PTO: 82%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 8 days (CLP), 7 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 11 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 13 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 14 days (CLP), 13 days (no consolidated leave)
Some construction companies have over the last decade moved away from the traditional way they allot time off, with separate categories for paid vacation, personal days and sick leave. They have instead adopted what is known as a PTO benefit. Vacation time, personal days, and sick leave are rolled into one plan for a consolidated-leave plan model.
Construction officials have largely been against other changes in paid leave. When former President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2015 requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to provide up to seven days for sickness or other uses, the Associated General Contractors of America objected, citing long periods of layoffs because of weather and other variables in the industry.
#6. Education and health services
- Workers with access to PTO: 82%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 16 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 20 days (CLP), 14 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 23 days (CLP), 16 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 25 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
On average, teachers have about 12 days for sick time or personal leave during the school year. Amid COVID-19, however, teachers across the country are running out of sick days and a federal requirement that schools offer paid time off for COVID-19 illness or exposure has expired.
Similarly, many nurses, doctors, and other health professionals across the country have been under enormous stress during the pandemic. Adding to the pressure for some, they have recently been told to take sick leave or personal days if they test positive for COVID-19.
#5. Real estate and rental and leasing
- Workers with access to PTO: 86%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 12 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 15 days (CLP), 14 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 17 days (CLP), 16 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 18 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
With about 106,500 real estate brokerage firms in the country, a competitive benefits package with paid time off can help companies recruit and retain employees.
Brokers can classify their real estate salespeople as either employees or independent contractors, and those independent contractors have far more flexibility to take time away from the office. Independent contractors, not bound to rules and regulations of the company or companies they’re signed onto, are able to more freely create their own hours and schedules. Other companies in this category are primarily in the business of renting or leasing properties or goods or in related services.
#4. Information
- Workers with access to PTO: 90%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 17 days (CLP), 11 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 22 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 25 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 27 days (CLP), 20 days (no consolidated leave)
Netflix, Oracle, LinkedIn, and Twitter are all companies in the information business sector—and all offer unlimited vacation days. The open vacation policy was originated by Netflix, whose CEO Reed Hastings says he takes at least six weeks each year. He attributes employee loyalty at the company in large part to Netflix’s generous vacation and parental leave policies.
Workplace management software company Kronos (now merged with Ultimate Software to become UKG) began an unlimited or open vacation policy in 2016. In a Harvard Business Review article, its CEO Aron Ain said changes in technology led professionals at every level to work after business hours. He added that vacation policies clearly delineating between time off and vacation seemed antiquated.
#3. Manufacturing
- Workers with access to PTO: 95%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 11 days (CLP), 8 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 15 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 18 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 21 days (CLP), 18 days (no consolidated leave)
Among all non-agricultural workers, manufacturing’s share of U.S. employment peaked during World War II to 38% but cratered from 32% in 1955 to 8% in 2019 just prior to the advent of COVID-19. The sheer number of manufacturing employees hit an all-time high in the 1970s with around 20 million workers. Many of these jobs have since become automated or been shipped overseas.
The Congressional Research Service in 2017 warned the industry’s wages and benefits were under pressure from cost-cutting, plant closures, and the loss of jobs to other countries. The manufacturing industry was not spared from the Great Resignation, leading employers to rethink hiring incentives in a post-COVID-19 employment landscape.
#2. Financial activities
- Workers with access to PTO: 95%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 17 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 21 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 24 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 26 days (CLP), 19 days (no consolidated leave)
The financial services sector is key to the country’s security, but it faces a number of risks, including cyberattacks, says the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Professional services network Deloitte predicted a pivotal opportunity for financial services in 2022, pointing to banking, capital markets, financial services firms, and others to lead the industry’s future. Deloitte urged the industry to invest in talent while rethinking the workplace, and paid time off plans may be a place to begin.
#1. Insurance carriers
- Workers with access to PTO: 97%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 17 days (CLP), 11 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 22 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 24 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 27 days (CLP), 19 days (no consolidated leave)
Some 2.9 million people worked in the U.S. insurance industry in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The largest number of those, 1.7 million, worked for insurance companies.
Research from Deloitte found that despite concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry expects rapid growth in 2022 as the demand for insurance increases. With 97% of these workers having access to PTO, competitive benefits packages will need to be more comprehensive than in other industries.
This story originally appeared on Timetastic and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Copyright 2022 Stacker via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/04/12/which-industries-get-most-least-time-off/ | 2022-04-12T13:45:26Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/04/12/which-industries-get-most-least-time-off/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Come experience the Road to the Resurrection, a family outdoor event for all ages filled with powerful moments that surround the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The event is Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at All Saints’ Church. All Saints’ is located at 14851 Gideon Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22912, next to Hylton Chapel.
The Road to the Resurrection will feature:
- Hands-on Bible-time experiences
- Live animals
- Costumed Friends
- Door Prizes
- Easter Egg Hunt!
Bring your basket for a hide-n- find Easter Egg Hunt on church grounds for toddlers through age 11.
The rain date is Saturday, April 23.
For more info, go to www.allsaintswoodbridge.org or All Saints' Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/allsaintswoodbridge/. If you have questions, please contact Tara Pedersen at tpedersen@allsaintswoodbridge.org. | https://www.insidenova.com/news/prince_william/experience-the-road-to-the-resurrection-april-16-at-woodbridges-all-saints-church/article_badc2f4c-ba58-11ec-8e4c-1b7f13756d1e.html | 2022-04-12T13:48:48Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/prince_william/experience-the-road-to-the-resurrection-april-16-at-woodbridges-all-saints-church/article_badc2f4c-ba58-11ec-8e4c-1b7f13756d1e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Members of the U.S. Army Drill Team, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, perform during Army Day at the Alamo in downtown San Antonio, Texas, April 5, 2022. Army Day at the Alamo honors the culture of Army commands that support Joint Base San Antonio and the surrounding areas. Joint Base San Antonio honors the long-standing partnership between the U.S. military and San Antonio in annual Fiesta events, which commemorate Texas’ independence after the Battle of San Jacinto and the Alamo.(U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. David Cook)
This work, Army Day at the Alamo Fiesta 2022 [Image 7 of 7], by SGT David Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7138589/army-day-alamo-fiesta-2022 | 2022-04-12T13:49:52Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7138589/army-day-alamo-fiesta-2022 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inflation has hit a 40-year-high, according to data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday.
New data shows inflation climbed to 8.5% in March, with costs for food, gasoline, housing and other necessities squeezing American consumers and wiping out the pay raises that many people have received.
The Labor Department said the 12-month jump in inflation is the biggest year-over-year increase since December 1981.
Prices have been driven up by bottlenecked supply chains, robust consumer demand and disruptions to global food and energy markets worsened by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Rental rates have also increased for the past seven months.
The government’s report also showed that inflation rose 1.2% from February to March, up from a 0.8% increase from January to February.
The Federal Reserve will likely move forward with its plans to continue raising interest rates to fight inflation.
It raised its key federal funds rate in March to a range of 0.25% to 0.5%.
The Fed is projecting at least six more rate hikes this year. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/inflation-jumped-8-5-in-past-year-highest-since-1981-labor-department-reports | 2022-04-12T13:51:11Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/inflation-jumped-8-5-in-past-year-highest-since-1981-labor-department-reports | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A new study shows how your personality can affect your health throughout your life.
People who worried more, lacked self-discipline or were introverted were more likely to develop cognitive decline.
They were also more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
But there is something you can do about it.
Being socially engaged can buy you an extra year without Dementia.
If you stay organized and goal-oriented, you can get two years of healthy cognitive function.
The findings were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/study-your-personality-can-affect-how-your-brain-ages | 2022-04-12T13:51:12Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/study-your-personality-can-affect-how-your-brain-ages | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Five years ago in Newport, Rhode Island, Kim Clijsters saw her career in perspective for the first time.
“At the International Tennis Hall of Fame I was able to walk through the history of tennis and see all the athletes, the players that I grew up watching as a kid,” she said earlier this week. “The ones who made me fall in love with the sport.”
Seeing the exhibits featuring her childhood heroes left her speechless.
“That’s when that whole movie in your head starts to play – of me and my sister [Elke] playing on our driveway back in Belgium. We’d go back and forth as Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. When it was the French Open, one of us was always Arantxa Sanchez.”
Photos: A look back at the top milestones from Kim Clijsters' career
Clijsters was enshrined that warm summer day in 2017 among the immortals of the game that first inspired her. On Friday she announced she’s stepping away from Hologic WTA Tour competition for good.
Her recent 20-month comeback, which coincided almost identically with the spread of the global pandemic, never took flight. Gradually, Clijsters came to realize that her family was her first priority.
The 38-year-old, along with husband Brian, is busy settling their three children into life in suburban New Jersey after a move from Belgium. She drives them to school and back, oversees homework, cooks breakfast and dinner – and there’s an endless supply of laundry.
“Yeah, it’s been on my mind for a while,” Clijsters said. “I still love to hit the ball. With my schedule three, four days was enough to keep my rhythm under control but definitely not good enough if I decided to play another tournament. Say, if I picked Australia, it’s three, four weeks. That’s just not possible at this stage in our family life.
“Life just sort of takes over, right?”
For the record, her last official match was Oct. 7, when she lost to Katerina Siniakova in the first round at Indian Wells. She subsequently played World Team Tennis, winning more singles games than she lost.
In retrospect, Clijsters said she was too stubborn to let tennis, at that highest level, go. Of course, stubbornness is really just another word for determination, the trait she credits most for her success.
“I think my determination was something as a little girl that was a huge factor,” Clijsters said. “This is something that came from my parents – they always pushed me in believing, ‘OK, what you do for your sport, you have to do it 100 percent.’ To this day, I think about what my dad said: `You have to realize at the end of your career you can’t regret not giving it everything you had.’
“And out of everything, that’s probably what I’m most proud of – that I really did that. From the moment I stepped on court and, whether it was practice or a match, I was committed. I was there to try my best.”
A brief accounting of a life in tennis well played: Four Grand Slam singles titles, two in doubles, a 523-131 match record (80.0 percent), 41 titles, the No.1 ranking four different times over a span of eight years and $24 million-plus in prize money.
Her playing style was an arresting combination of power and flexibility; her father, Lei, was a formidable soccer player and her mother, Els, was a gymnast. You could see it in her signature splits.
Clijsters was a first-time Grand Slam champion on her 20th birthday, pairing with Ai Sugiyama to win the 2003 French Open doubles. They repeated at Wimbledon, but Clijsters didn’t win the singles title until 2005 at the US Open. In May 2007, at the age of 23, she retired for the first time.
“When I stopped playing, my dad was sick,” Clijsters said. “He talked about me maybe playing tennis again a few months before he passed, and I was like `Dad, no. That’s not going to happen.’ ”
It was an invitation from the All England Club in 2009 that moved Clijsters to focus on tennis again. It was only a few months after she had given birth to her daughter Jada and the timing seemed right.
“That’s when the hunger for competition came back and, yeah, it just went from there,” Clijsters said. “Waited for a few weeks to see if the emotion would stay, and it did. There’s definitely moments in your life that mature you and have a big impact on your life. Losing my dad was one of them.”
After more than two years from the game, Clijsters won five of seven matches in Cincinnati and Toronto before her unlikely and triumphant run at the 2009 US Open. She beat Serena and Venus Williams and Li Na on the way to the final, where she prevailed over Caroline Wozniacki. It was, Clijsters, said, her most emotional victory.
She defended her title in 2010, won the Australian Open in 2011and stepped away from tennis in 2012 – again thinking it was for the last time. But more than seven years later, after Jack and Blake had joined the family, Clijsters wanted to give tennis one more go.
She played only five matches – COVID-19 was wreaking havoc with world travel and she suffered a knee injury – but in a testament to her savvy, she extended three of them to a third set.
“My passion for tennis will never leave no matter what I do,” Clijsters said. “I feel a very big need to give back to tennis because I’ve gotten so much out of it. So, yeah, that will be the next phase, to see where can I go?”
She has declined several requests from current players to be a part-time coach, opting instead to focus on Jada’s burgeoning basketball career. At 14, she’s already 5-foot-11 and her mother says when she’s dribbling down the court at full speed, she’s learned to step out of the way.
Clijsters still hits balls, usually at the nearby Atlantic Club in Manasquan. Last Friday she played with the pro for a few hours in the morning, then came back for some pickle ball.
“It’s very intense,” Clijsters said. “Once you’ve been competing for, like me, from when I was a little girl, I love getting that challenge, the pushing to prove something.”
There will be no shortage of tennis options going forward. The experience of running the Kim Clijsters Academy in Bree, Belgium – the town she grew up in – has showed her the rewards of sharing her knowledge of the game.
Recently, Clijsters visited with the women’s tennis team at Monmouth University. She played doubles, played some singles points and sat on the court for an hour answering questions. She’ll be a fixture at the Grand Slams, doing television work and playing legends tennis – she’s excited that Wimbledon is adding mixed doubles to their schedule.
Clijsters is determined to return the favor of those who helped her along the way.
“I cannot tell you the impact of Steffi and Monica and Arantxa when I came on tour,” she said. “That world became my reality. They were kind, they would listen, they would give advice.”
Any regrets?
“No,” she said emphatically. “None. I’ve always made career decisions on how I felt at the time – not what was good for my career in the long run. I’m happy how everything worked out.” | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2573621/-i-was-there-to-try-my-best-clijsters-to-step-away-from-tennis-for-good | 2022-04-12T14:09:13Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2573621/-i-was-there-to-try-my-best-clijsters-to-step-away-from-tennis-for-good | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Amazon (AMZN) has tapped the bond market to raise about $12.8 billion. The e-commerce and cloud computing giant sold multiple bonds maturing between 2024 and 2062, and has hired investment banks Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), and Morgan Stanley (MS) to help with the bond sale.
Amazon plans to use the bond proceeds for general corporate purposes, which it says may include working capital, acquisitions, and share repurchases. In March, the company launched a $10 billion share repurchase program without a fixed expiration date. Amazon also plans a 20-for-1 stock split.
Wall Street’s Take
Consensus among analysts is a Strong Buy based on 34 Buys and one Sell. The average Amazon price forecast stands at $4,143.76 and implies upside potential of 37% to current levels. Shares have declined 11% year-to-date.
Stock Investors
TipRanks’ Stock Investors tool shows that investor sentiment is currently Very Positive on Amazon, with 5% of portfolios tracked by TipRanks increasing their exposure to AMZN stock over the past 30 days.
Key Takeaway for Investors
Amazon’s bond sale looks well-timed. Borrowing now may be cheaper than doing it in the future, considering that interest rates are expected to rise as the Fed tries to combat inflation.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Apple Stock Expected to Rise on After Shifting Manufacturing to India
Mercedes-Benz Updates Carbon Neutral Plan
Shopify Woos Investors With Stock Split | https://www.tipranks.com/news/amazon-reveals-where-its-bond-money-will-go/ | 2022-04-12T14:09:59Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/amazon-reveals-where-its-bond-money-will-go/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The stock market is a gold mine of data, but the sheer volume of it can be intimidating for the average retail investor. What’s needed is some clear signal, something that can cut right through the noise generated by over 9,500 publicly traded companies, to show just which stocks are likely to head upward.
Corporate insiders are ideally positioned to give just that signal. They are the company officers – Board members, CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and the like – whose positions give them access to the inside workings of their companies and make them responsible for bringing in profits. Their reasons for trading their companies’ shares are myriad, but one thing is certain: they don’t trade them lightly. And when their purchases start getting into the upper six figures, or even more, investors should take notice.
We’ve gotten that process started. Using the Insiders’ Hot Stocks data sorting tool at TipRanks, we’ve pulled up two stocks that have shown recent ‘informative buys’ from informed insiders. It also doesn’t hurt that each stock is admired by the analyst community, enough so to earn a “Strong Buy” consensus rating. Let’s take a closer look.
Energy Transfer (ET)
We’ll start with Energy Transfer, a midstream company in the oil and natural gas industry. Energy Transfer is one of the largest American midstream firms, boasting an asset portfolio that spreads across 41 states and Canada, and the Dallas-based company has international offices in both Calgary and Beijing. The company’s assets include pipelines, terminals, and processing facilities, for crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquified natural gas (LNG).
Rising fuel prices have helped ET’s bottom line. In the last reported quarter, 4Q21, the company showed top line revenue of $18.66 billion along with an EPS profit of 29 cents. Year-over-year, those numbers translated to gains of 86% and 52%, respectively.
For investors, a key metric is the company’s distributable cash flow, as it directly funds the dividend. For the fourth quarter, this metric grew to $1.60 billion from $1.36 billion in the prior year. Management felt confident enough in the company’s financial and cash position to bump up the dividend by 15%, to 17.5 cents per common share. The payment was made in February; at an annualized rate of 70 cents, it gives a strong yield of 6.3%.
These are not the only positive figures for the company. Turning to the insider trades, we find that Board member Michael Grimm recently made a head-turning ‘informative buy.’ He purchased a total of 504,600 shares, and he shelled out $5.657 million to pick them up. The buy brings his total holding in the company to $7.821 million.
5-star analyst Michael Blum, from Wells Fargo, lays out a solid bullish case. Looking at the company’s ability to return profits, he writes, “While ET is prioritizing distribution growth and further leverage reduction over buybacks in the near term, our long-term positive thesis remains intact. ET generates one of the highest FCF profiles in the midstream space (16% 2022E FCF yield). We believe excess FCF will ultimately be returned to unit holders via buybacks as leverage decreases.”
These comments support Blum’s Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating on the shares, and his $15 price target indicates room for 36% upside in the next 12 months. (To watch Blum’s track record, click here)
Getting in line with the insider trade and the Wells Fargo analyst, Wall Street has set 9 positive reviews here in recent months, giving ET its Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares trade for $11.05 and their $14 average target suggests a 27% one-year upside. (See ET stock forecast on TipRanks)
Dave & Buster’s Entertainment (PLAY)
Shifting gears, we’ll move over to leisure and entertainment, where Dave & Buster’s has long been a popular name and venue, known as both a full-service restaurant and bar and a high-end video arcade, with billiards and bowling on tap too. The company’s business model, catering to grown-ups with a taste for games and fun, has been a proven success.
A few numbers will tell the tale of that success. The company posted heavy losses in the corona pandemic year of 2020 – revenues fell to just $436.5 million – but came roaring back when the economy reopened in 2021. The top line for last year came to $1.3 billion, nearly triple the 2020 number, and almost matching the $1.35 billion recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. EPS for 2021 came to $2.21 per diluted share, still down from the $2.94 reported in 2019, but a dramatic turnaround from the $4.75 EPS loss recorded in 2020.
In a measure of D&B’s confidence, the company earlier this month announced that it will be acquiring the family entertainment chain Main Event. The transaction will cost D&B $835 million in an all-cash deal, and is expected to close by the end of this year. Main Event will bring 50 locations to the Dave & Buster’s network. Once the transaction is closed, Main Event’s CEO, Chris Morris, will take over as CEO of D&B.
And this brings us to the recent insider buy. Dave & Buster’s Board member Kevin Sheehan is currently serving as interim CEO – and he spent just over $405K to pick up 10,000 shares of PLAY. Sheehan now holds $6.62 million worth of stock in the company.
This company’s recent large acquisition has Wall Street’s analysts thinking about PLAY’s forward growth. Andy Barish, of Jefferies, likes what he sees in that direction, and writes, “We view PLAY as among best positioned to drive upside and accel growth the next few years (we model 8 new units in ’22, +1 fr prior est, and think +10-14 units in ’23/24 is possible but model just 10 in ’23 for now). NT, sales recovering well, and LT we think higher services/experiences spend category-wide will benefit the Co given capacity reduction from competition and a stronger PLAY too.”
In line with these comments, Barish rates the stock as a Buy, with a $60 price target suggesting a one-year upside potential of 40%. (To watch Barish’s track record, click here)
Once again, we’re looking at a Strong Buy-rated stock. The consensus view here is based on 8 recent recommendations, including 6 to Buy and 2 Holds. The shares have an average price target of $56.71, which suggests an upside of 33% from the trading price of $42.73. (See PLAY stock forecast at TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/2-strong-buy-stocks-drawing-interest-from-insiders-2/ | 2022-04-12T14:10:13Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/2-strong-buy-stocks-drawing-interest-from-insiders-2/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Else Nutrition Holdings (TSE: BABY)(BABYF) is an Israeli plant-based food and nutrition company that develops innovative, clean, and plant-based food and nutrition products for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. With the increasing cases of dairy intolerance, there is a greater need for a sustainable, new source of protein.
With its patented, 100% natural, plant-based, dairy-free, soy-free, and healthy baby and toddler nutritional products, Else Nutrition has taken the lead in finding a solution to this problem. The company’s products are made from almonds, buckwheat, and tapioca that are free of hormones, antibiotics, gluten, and other potentially harmful ingredients.
The global baby and infant nutrition market is thriving with excellent prospects for rapid expansion, and this favorable outlook has created a good platform for companies to invest in innovative products. According to Imarc Group, the global baby food and infant formula market was valued at $45.4 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a 5.7% annual rate between 2022 and 2027.
Stellar Revenue Growth
For the Fiscal Year 2021, Else Nutrition generated revenue of $4.7 million, a 219% increase year-over-year, driven by the strong performance of products in both online and retail channels. The company’s product sales on Amazon doubled in 2021, and the company increased its retail presence in the United States to over 1,200 locations.
Amazon EU has also offered Else Nutrition to open a European unified account, which would allow the company to sell its items on key Amazon European marketplaces such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and others. The market comprises over 300 million people.
Else also completed the development of a new line of products for infants (6+ months) and toddlers called Super Cereals, which is set to launch in April 2022 in the United States.
The company began the HCP project in the United States in September 2021, an education and marketing program aimed at helping pediatricians and parents understand the nutritional benefits of plant-based infant products.
This year, the company plans to expand its product range to roughly 8-10 products and more than 20 SKUs in the United States. Else Nutrition will also launch a non-organic Toddler Omega product, Super Cereal for 6+ month babies, as well as liquid goods for kids and/or adults.
The company is also expected to enter the UK and Western Europe markets via Amazon by the end of Q2. In mid-2022, the company will start selling online in China, and all these new developments suggest strong revenue growth is on the cards for this year as well.
Long-Term Growth Potential
Else is taking steps toward achieving its longer-term goals by focusing on increasing its market share, and the successful preclinical trial is another step on the right path. Else Nutrition recently reported the completion of a successful preclinical trial on its plant-based infant food, paving the road for future commercialization.
In a neonatal preclinical model, the study results showed normal growth similar to that of dairy-based infant formula. This is an important initial step in working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies.
Growing Distribution and Sales Channels
Else Nutrition has been focusing on expanding the company’s distribution network to grow its global and U.S. market share, and such an expansion would be key to securing its long-term financial goals. The company’s sales and distribution strategy, which includes Walmart, Amazon, and Kroger, all generated positive returns driven by the successful performance of its toddler nutrition products.
On Amazon, Else’s Complete Nutrition for Toddlers was recently recognized as the best-selling baby and toddler formula. On April 6, the company announced that supermarket Big Y will be adding two additional products at all locations in Q2 and extend the brand’s shelf presence and offerings of its products in the kids’ segment.
With its strategic partnership and distribution strategy, Else Nutrition is on track to expand to approximately 30,000 retail outlets, putting the company in a strong position to increase revenue and market share.
Wall Street’s Take
Turning to Wall Street, Else Nutrition earns a Moderate Buy rating based on just one Buy rating assigned in the past three months. Else Nutrition’s price target of C$3 implies 140% upside potential.
Takeaway
Else Nutrition continues to establish itself as a prominent alternative source of infant and child nutrition products globally. The company’s first-mover advantage in the plant-based protein industry and fast-growing distribution network are likely to help the company report stellar revenue growth in the coming years.
Else Nutrition’s strategic distribution partnerships and expanding product line also suggest the company is moving in the right direction to improve its global presence.
Aided by macroeconomic tailwinds and a strong balance sheet position with zero long-term debt, Else Nutrition seems well-positioned to thrive in the next decade.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/else-nutrition-earnings-big-y-partnership-are-catalysts/ | 2022-04-12T14:10:26Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/else-nutrition-earnings-big-y-partnership-are-catalysts/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. stock futures were trending mixed in the early hours on Tuesday as investor concerns continue to center around inflation, the rise in commodity prices amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was in the red, at the time of writing, down 0.5%, while the S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq 100 (NDX) futures were trading higher by 0.25% and 0.1%, respectively, as of 6:05am EST on Tuesday.
On Monday, the stock market experienced yet another sell-off. The major U.S. stock market indexes ended in deep in the red at the closing bell, with the Dow ending the day 1.2% lower, the S&P 500 decreasing 1.7%, and the Nasdaq 100 declining almost 2.2%, with energy, information technology, and health care being the weak performers. Unfortunately, none of the sectors within the S&P 500 ended in the green.
The White House expects the “March CPI headline inflation (number) to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin’s price hike.” These comments raised investor concerns ahead of the key inflation report, the latest consumer price index, to be released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics before the market opens. Meanwhile, treasury yields continued to rise and hit 2.78%, its highest level since January 2019.
In regard to the war in Ukraine, investors are assessing developments, where the situation is worsening and recently Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects South Korea to provide military aid as he believes the “war is far from over.”
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/stock-futures-mixed-as-investors-eye-march-cpi-treasury-yields-elevate/ | 2022-04-12T14:10:32Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/stock-futures-mixed-as-investors-eye-march-cpi-treasury-yields-elevate/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After a stellar bull run, shares of financial technology companies are under immense pressure. Take Upstart and Affirm, for instance. Shares of these companies have recently lost a considerable portion of their value.
Jefferies analyst John Hecht highlighted industry-wide valuation compression, regulatory uncertainty, and concerns over credit risk posing challenges.
Further, the fading of stimulus, high inflation, and increases in interest rates pose challenges, as these could put pressure on borrowers and institutions with exposure to credit-based financial instruments.
With that in mind, let’s discuss what the future could hold for Upstart and Affirm.
Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST)
Upstart Holdings recently delivered solid Q4 financial results. Further, the financial technology company expects the momentum to continue and projects 65% growth in revenue in 2022.
However, UPST stock continues to trend lower and has lost a substantial portion of its value despite its stellar performance and upbeat guidance. UPST stock has lost about 78% of its value from its 52-week high. Further, it is down about 41% this year.
Notably, a significant portion of loans (about 80%) issued through Upstart’s platform are purchased by institutional investors through financial instruments, including investments in asset-backed securities (ABS).
Wedbush analyst David Chiaverini highlighted Upstart’s “robust AI-powered machine learning model and its high growth with strong potential.”
However, the analyst has a Sell recommendation on the stock.
Chiaverini added, “Our UNDERPERFORM rating is based on its reliance on third-party funding, which we believe may become more limited in the near term and that weakening delinquency trends on recent 2021 vintage securitizations that appear to be deteriorating at a faster pace than its 2018, 2019, and 2020 vintages”
Further, the analyst highlighted that Upstart’s cost of funds is increasing for ABS deals.
Nevertheless, TipRanks’ investors and hedge funds have accumulated UPST stock on the weakness. Per the data, 2.9% of investors holding portfolios on TipRanks have increased their exposure to UPST shares over the past 30 days. Further, hedge funds have added 567.2K UPST shares in the last quarter.
While TipRanks’ investors and hedge fund managers are positive about UPST stock, Wall Street is cautiously optimistic. UPST stock has received six Buy, two Hold, and one Sell recommendations for a Moderate Buy consensus rating.
Further, due to the significant drop in price, the average Upstart price target of $177.67 indicates 98% upside potential to current levels.
Affirm (NASDAQ:AFRM)
Affirm stock has declined about 79% from its 52-week high. Moreover, it has fallen over 62% this year. Notably, a consistent decline in revenue yield (revenue as a percentage of GMV) has weighed on Affirm stock. Further, credit and interest rate headwinds remained a drag, noted Kevin Barker of Piper Sandler. Barker has a Hold recommendation on AFRM stock.
While Barker remains sidelined, Mizuho Securities analyst Dan Dolev expects AFRM stock to more than double. The analyst has a Buy recommendation on AFRM with a price target of $79 (109.6% upside potential).
Highlighting his chat with AFRM’s CFO, Michael Linford, Dolev stated, “The CFO reiterated Fed Chair recent commentary that the consumer is healthy and the labor market is good. In summary, as of now, we believe the credit environment remains benign and hence fears are overblown.”
Further, Dolev is upbeat about Affirm’s deal with Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). However, the analysts pointed to the compression of peer valuations and the “rising risk of further delinquencies and charge-offs” as concerns.
AFRM stock has received eight Buy, six Hold, and one Sell recommendations for a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Further, the average Upstart price target of $69.87 indicates 85.3% upside potential to current levels.
While Wall Street is cautiously optimistic about AFRM, hedge funds and TipRanks’ investors have sold the stock. Hedge funds have decreased their holdings by 48.8K shares in the past three months. Further, 1.7% of investors holding portfolios with TipRanks sold AFRM stock in the last 30 days.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/upstart-and-affirm-whats-next-following-massive-declines/ | 2022-04-12T14:10:38Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/upstart-and-affirm-whats-next-following-massive-declines/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
2021 was a fantastic year for banking stocks, but the momentum did not carry over into 2022. Due to a number of issues, this year got off to a shaky start. Recessionary fears were stoked by growing inflation, supply-chain imbalances, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the Federal Reserve’s tightening of monetary policy.
Market sentiment has been impaired by these fears, which have touched practically all sectors, including the financial industry.
Despite signs of rising interest rates, banking stocks have lost steam this year. In the first quarter, the benchmark KBW Nasdaq Bank Index, which covers 24 of the major U.S. lenders, fell more than 11%.
Q1 Could Be a Big Blow
Banks could produce weaker-than-expected results in the first quarter. It is most likely that Q1 earnings from some of the largest U.S. banks may show that rising cost pressures might have hurt their margins.
Deutsche Bank analyst Matt O’Connor said, “For the first quarter, year over year, we were probably expecting capital markets revenue to be down like 10 to 20 percent [at the start of 2021], as a range across the banks. And now we’re down 30-50 percent. It’s pretty materially weaker.”
Notably, fourth-quarter earnings released in January fell short of expectations, with several banks warning that spending will continue to rise this year, putting pressure on margins.
With the banking sector’s first-quarter earnings just around the corner, investors will be looking at how the banks performed and what lies ahead. The spotlight this week will be on the quarterly results of the so-called “Big 5 Banks” — JPMorgan (JPM), Citigroup (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), and Wells Fargo (WFC).
Year-to-Date Performance
The “Big 5 Banks”, which were expected to benefit from interest rate hikes, have performed poorly so far this year and are all trading in the red year-to-date.
The price-performance of these banking stocks is depicted in the graph below.
JPMorgan
JPMorgan, the largest bank in the United States by assets, has recently been expanding through acquisitions. The company is creating branches in new areas to broaden its reach. The plan will help the bank capture cross-selling opportunities by expanding its footprint in the card and vehicle loan sectors, in addition to gaining market share.
Aside from that, the company continues to expand its investment banking and asset management businesses in China.
For the upcoming Q1 results, analysts expect JPMorgan to announce adjusted earnings of $2.72 per share, a fall of 40% year-over-year.
Overall, JPMorgan stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating on TipRanks based on nine Buys, six Holds, and one Sell. As for price targets, the average JPM price target of $171.19 implies almost 28.7% upside potential from current levels.
Citigroup
Citigroup has been focusing on core business growth while streamlining its processes globally. The corporation continues to optimize its branch network while also attempting to streamline operations and reduce costs.
The company’s earnings have outperformed analysts’ projections for the last seven quarters. For the upcoming quarter, analysts estimate Citigroup to report adjusted earnings of $1.43 per share, a fall of 60% year-over-year.
For 2022, total revenues are expected to grow in the low single digits, excluding divestitures. Higher interest rates and higher fees are anticipated to drive this growth.
On TipRanks, Citigroup stock sports a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on eight Buys, eight Holds, and one Sell recommendation. As for price targets, the average C price target of $70.88 implies almost 40.2% upside potential from current levels.
Goldman Sachs
Goldman’s bottom line in the upcoming quarter could be impacted by its expanding cost base. Furthermore, in the March-end quarter, headwinds were produced by a reduction in the investment banking business due to depressed capital markets and increased market volatility triggered by the Ukraine conflict.
For the upcoming first quarter, analysts estimate Goldman to report adjusted earnings of $9.07 per share, a fall of 51% year-over-year.
Also, we used TipRanks’ new online tool to track user visits to its website. Surprisingly, the company’s monthly user numbers came out to be quite encouraging. The tool showed that overall projected visits to the Goldman Sachs website increased in Q1. In particular, the total projected worldwide visits to the GS website increased by 38% from the fourth quarter of 2021.
On TipRanks, Goldman Sachs stock sports a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 10 Buy and five Hold recommendations. As for price targets, the average GS price target of $434.36 implies almost 35.4% upside potential from current levels.
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley has been working on a number of initiatives to restructure its operations in order to increase stable revenue streams. The corporation had a wonderful year in 2021, with record earnings and significant capital returns to its stockholders.
Further, the company’s earnings have outperformed analysts’ projections for the last seven quarters. For the upcoming earnings quarter, analysts estimate Morgan Stanley to report adjusted earnings of $1.73 per share, a fall of 22% year-over-year.
However, the current market volatility has created a panic among investors. According to TipRanks’ Stock Investors tool, investors currently have a Very Negative view of Morgan Stanley, with 1.4% of investors decreasing their exposure to MS stock over the past 30 days.
On TipRanks, Morgan Stanley stock sports a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on five Buy and six Hold recommendations. The average MS stock price target of $105.11 implies almost 25% upside potential from current levels.
Wells Fargo
The company’s deposit base continues to grow. The deposit balance is projected to improve more as the economy improves, notably in the consumer business and commercial banking divisions. The bank’s liquidity should be bolstered as a result of this.
For the upcoming first quarter, analysts estimate Wells Fargo to report adjusted earnings of $0.81 per share, a fall of 23% year-over-year.
We used TipRanks’ new online tool to track user visits to its website. The company’s monthly user numbers remained disappointing. The tool showed that overall projected visits to the Wells Fargo website decreased in Q1. In particular, the total projected worldwide visits to wellsfargo.com decreased by 13% sequentially from the fourth quarter.
On TipRanks, Wells Fargo stock sports a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 11 Buy and four Hold recommendations. The average WFC stock price target of $60.37 implies almost 22% upside potential from the current levels.
Bottom Line
As banks strive to contain expenses in an inflationary environment, the approaching earnings season for banks could be a mixed bag for investors. The dangers have definitely increased as a result of the Russia/Ukraine war and a larger likelihood of recession as the Federal Reserve hikes rates to combat inflation. Nonetheless, the banks have several potential tailwinds, including increased interest rates and a faster-growing loan environment.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/will-q1-earnings-from-big-five-banks-bring-investors-pain-or-relief/ | 2022-04-12T14:10:44Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/will-q1-earnings-from-big-five-banks-bring-investors-pain-or-relief/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Biotechnology company BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) recently revealed that it has joined hands with a fellow biotechnology company, Matinas BioPharma, to evaluate the combination of mRNA formats and Matinas’ proprietary LNC platform technology.
Following the news, shares of the company rose marginally on Monday. The stock pared its gains completely and declined 2.5% to close at $166.28 in the extended trading session.
The collaboration will leverage BioNTech’s expertise in mRNA vaccine development and Matinas’ proprietary LNC platform technology to advance novel formulations for mRNA vaccines, including a potential formulation for oral vaccines.
Under the terms of the agreement, Matinas will receive an upfront access fee to work exclusively with BioNTech as well as additional research funding from BioNTech. Further, the parties have commenced discussions to have a license agreement in place for Matinas’ LNC platform technology.
Management Commentary
The CEO of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin, M.D., said, “Accomplishing strong immune responses with low doses are crucial in the development of well-tolerated and highly effective vaccines. This can be achieved with the right technology that enables targeted vaccine delivery. Matinas’ LNC platform demonstrates encouraging capabilities for intracellular delivery, including the opportunity for oral delivery. We are excited to collaborate with this extraordinary team of experts.”
Stock Rating
Recently, Canaccord Genuity analyst Arlinda Lee reiterated a Buy rating on the stock. The analyst, however, lowered the price target from $450 to $300, which implies upside potential of 75.9% from current levels.
According to the analyst, BioNTech’s heightened revenue visibility from its vaccines combined with its diversified immunotherapy pipeline gives it a strong footing. However, the company’s efforts to democratize novel medicine access can hurt its top line.
The Wall Street community is cautiously optimistic about the stock and has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on three Buys and eight Holds. BioNTech’s average price target of $249.90 implies that the stock has upside potential of 46.5% from current levels. Shares have gained 40.4% over the past year.
Hedge Funds’ Confidence
TipRanks’ Hedge Fund Trading Activity tool shows that hedge fund confidence in BioNTech is currently Negative. Moreover, the cumulative change in holdings across the five hedge funds that were active in the last quarter was a decrease of 110,000 shares.
Conclusion
The efficient and effective administration of vaccines can go a long way in ensuring the timely treatment of diseases. To that end, BioNTech’s collaboration with Matinas is likely to be a successful one, taking into account the strengths of both companies in their respective fields.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Moderna Recalls 764,900 COVID-19 Doses in Europe
JetBlue Trims Flight Schedules
Goldman Strengthens Asset Management Business | https://www.tipranks.com/news/biontech-paves-way-for-advanced-mrna-based-vaccines/ | 2022-04-12T14:10:50Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/biontech-paves-way-for-advanced-mrna-based-vaccines/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
InMode Ltd. (Nasdaq: INMD) has announced preliminary results for the first quarter of 2022. Shares of the company declined 7.1% on Monday but were up 2% at the time of writing.
The company provides innovative medical technologies. It also designs, develops, manufactures, and markets minimally invasive aesthetic medical products.
Preliminary Results
InMode has announced preliminary first-quarter revenues in the range of $85 million to $85.5 million. This compares favorably with the consensus estimate of $80.2 million. Also, it reflects a rise of 29.8% to 30.5% from the prior-year quarter.
Adjusted earnings are expected between $0.38 and $0.39 per share. The Street expects InMode to post earnings of $0.36 per share in the first quarter. The company had reported adjusted earnings of $0.69 per share in the first quarter of 2021.
The CEO of InMode, Moshe Mizrahy, said, “Despite pressures from new Covid-19 variants and supply chain challenges, we’re able to ensure a productive manufacturing facility and meet expected delivery times. The growing number of treatments in the U.S. and globally increased the sales of consumables, that consistently reach new records every quarter.”
Price Target
Following the news, Needham analyst Michael Matson and Robert W. Baird analyst Jeff Johnson maintained a Buy rating on InMode with a price target of $82 (155.9% upside potential from current levels).
“InMode has developed technologies that fill the “treatment gap” between non-invasive and invasive procedures. Its margins are among the highest in the med-tech sector and allow for strong free cash flow while 2021 guidance and consensus estimates appear conservative, in our view. InMode’s shares are attractively valued in our view considering its growth potential,” Matson said
Consensus among analysts is a Strong Buy based on three unanimous Buys. InMode’s average price forecast of $84.67 implies upside potential of 164.3% to current levels. Shares of the company have gained 22.6% over the past year.
Hedge Fund Trading Activity
TipRanks’ Hedge Fund Trading Activity tool shows that confidence in InMode is currently Very Positive, as the cumulative change in holdings across all six hedge funds that were active in the last quarter was an increase of 122,100 shares.
Conclusion
Despite lingering supply chain issues, InMode has been able to project top-line growth, which seems encouraging. Given the bullish perspective of analysts and the confidence of hedge funds, we can expect some upside potential in the near term.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Moderna Recalls 764,900 COVID-19 Doses in Europe
Why Was Akebia Trading Lower in Pre-Market Session?
Argo Blockchain Stock Dips Despite Higher Mining Revenues | https://www.tipranks.com/news/inmode-shows-recovery-despite-conservative-earnings-outlook/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:03Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/inmode-shows-recovery-despite-conservative-earnings-outlook/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KB Home (NYSE: KBH) has announced twin rewards for its shareholders — a new $300 million share buyback program and quarterly dividend payments. The company’s board of directors had approved these rewards on April 7.
Shares of KB Home rose 1.4% to close at $31.45 on Monday.
KB Home is a renowned home building company, which has operations in North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, and other U.S. states. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.
Inside the Headlines
As noted by the company, the new stock repurchase program has replaced the company’s previous authorization. At the end of February 2022, the company was left to buy back 331,400 shares under the program, which now stands annulled.
KB Home also mentioned that the buybacks under the new program can be accomplished through open market or private transactions. The management has to decide the amount and timing of shares to be repurchased. All these decisions will be dependent on the market conditions and other factors.
Meanwhile, the company announced that a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share will be paid on May 19. This payment, for the second quarter of 2022, will be made to all shareholders who are in the company’s record as of May 5.
Shareholder-Friendly Policy
In Fiscal 2021 (ended November 30), KB Home repurchased shares worth $188.2 million. Dividend distributions amounted to $54.1 million, higher than $38.1 million in the previous year.
In the first quarter of Fiscal 2022 (ended February 28, 2022), the company refrained from repurchasing any shares while distributing dividends of $14.1 million.
Such disbursements by KB Home are in line with the company’s policy of rewarding shareholders handsomely. Exiting the first quarter, the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at $240.7 million.
Analysts’ Take
A week ago, Daniel Oppenheim, an analyst at Credit Suisse, started coverage on KB Home with a Buy rating and a price target of $42 (33.55% upside potential).
The analyst expects KB Homes to “generate an ROE of 26% in 2022 and 2023, driven by the continuation of healthy demand trends that should support strong volume and margins.”
Overall, the Street is cautiously optimistic about KB Home’s growth prospects. The stock presently has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 11 Buys, two Holds, and one Sell. KB Home’s average price forecast of $53.75 suggests 70.91% upside potential from current levels. Over the past year, shares of the company have declined 35.9%.
News Sentiments
Per the TipRanks tool, News Sentiment is currently Positive for KB Home based on five articles in the past seven days. 100% of the articles on KBH have a Bullish sentiment, compared to the sector average of 62%.
Conclusion
Rewards in the form of dividends and share buybacks are likely to keep investors interested in KB Home.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
These 3 Dividend Stocks Are a ‘Buy’ in This Highly Volatile Environment, Say Analysts
3M: Legendary Dividend Stock, Minimal Growth Ahead
GFL Environmental: Dividend Hike Signals Cash Strength | https://www.tipranks.com/news/its-raining-rewards-for-kb-homes-stakeholders/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:15Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/its-raining-rewards-for-kb-homes-stakeholders/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
According to a report published by Reuters, Mercedes-Benz Group AG (DDAIF) plans to cut its CO2 emissions by 50% by the end of this decade. This is in addition to its existing goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2039.
Additionally, by 2030, the company plans to meet 70% of its energy needs through renewable energy sources, compared to the current 45%-50%.
Joerg Burzer, the Production Chief at Mercedes-Benz, said, “Around 15% of this energy should come from solar and wind plants on or linked to Mercedes-Benz’ own sites.”
The luxury carmaker plans to source the remaining energy through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Under these agreements, Mercedes-Benz will pay power companies to generate energy.
Burzer said the company is in advanced talks to buy wind energy worth €1 billion by 2025 through PPAs.
About Mercedes-Benz
Germany-based Mercedes-Benz manufactures and sells cars, trucks, buses and vans under the brands Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses. It also offers financial services through its Daimler Financial Services business.
DDAIF stock lost 1.8% on Monday to close at $67.27.
Price Target
Overall, the stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 13 Buys and two Holds. DDAIF’s average price target of $96.74 implies 43.8% upside potential. Shares have lost 20.1% over the past three months.
Blogger Opinions
TipRanks data shows that financial blogger opinions are 87% Bullish on Mercedes-Benz, compared to the sector average of 68%.
Conclusion
With an increased number of consumers becoming aware of the harmful impacts of greenhouse gases on the environment, the adoption of renewable energy sources is what the future holds. Mercedes-Benz’s aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2039 is a step in the right direction. The company’s halfway target of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 only shows its commitment to the plan.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Moderna Recalls 764,900 COVID-19 Doses in Europe
Strong Beginning Expected for Silicon Motion
Zynex Releases Q1 Expectations | https://www.tipranks.com/news/mercedes-benz-updates-carbon-neutral-plan/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:21Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/mercedes-benz-updates-carbon-neutral-plan/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Swedish telecom company Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has suspended its Russian operations indefinitely. It has sent around 600 of its employees in the country on paid vacation.
Ericsson expects to record an impairment charge of $95 million in the first quarter of this year as a result of the decision.
Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, said, “(This) move was inevitable following a swathe of sanctions.”
The company stopped deliveries in the transcontinental nation in February, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
About Ericsson
Based out of Stockholm, Ericsson develops and manufactures communication network equipment, and provides telecommunication services and support solutions. The company employs around 100,000 people in more than 180 countries across the world.
ERIC stock lost 3.2% on Monday. It, however, gained 0.2% in the extended trading session to end the day at $9.37.
Consensus Rating
Based on three Buys and three Holds, Ericsson has a Moderate Buy consensus rating. ERIC’s average price target of $15.17 implies 62.3% upside potential from current levels. Shares have lost 31.2% over the past year.
Investors’ Stance
TipRanks’ Stock Investors tool shows that investors currently have a Very Positive stance on Ericsson, as nearly 10% of investors on TipRanks increased their exposure to the stock over the past 30 days.
Conclusion
The suspension of operations is also expected to hurt Ericsson’s future plans in Russia. This is because the company does not have a manufacturing plant in the country, and the Russian government will extend the licenses of only those telecom firms beyond 2023 that build networks using local equipment.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Mercedes-Benz Updates Carbon Neutral Plan
Shopify Woos Investors With Stock Split
Moderna Stock Shakes Off Recall Repercussions | https://www.tipranks.com/news/now-ericsson-ditches-russia/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:34Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/now-ericsson-ditches-russia/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Canadian e-commerce platform Shopify, Inc. (SHOP) is planning a 10-for-1 stock split to make shares more accessible to retail shareholders. Additionally, the company is seeking shareholder approval for “the founder share” for its CEO, Tobi Lütke, which will increase his voting power to 40% of the total voting power attached to all of the company’s outstanding shares.
Following the news, the SHOP stock popped more than 4% during intraday trading and ended the day gaining 2.4% to close at $617.38 on April 11. Year-to-date, its shares have lost 54.7% amid the broader market sell-off.
Shopify is slated for an annual and special meeting of shareholders to be held on June 7, 2022, at which the company is proposing to undertake changes to its existing governance structure that will be in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders.
The company currently has two classes of shares, Class A with one vote per share and Class B with ten votes per share. If the stock split is approved, shareholders of both classes of shares will receive nine additional shares for each share held by them after the close of business on June 28, 2022. The split will have no impact on the company’s fundamentals and will make the shares cheaper for individual investors.
Lütke has helmed the company since 2008 and since then has been instrumental in raising the company to its current highs. If the proposal for the founder share is approved, it will increase his voting power to 40% upon the combination with the existing Class B shares held by him and his family or associates.
Commenting on the decision to increase Lütke’s voting power, Robert Ashe, Shopify’s Lead Independent Director, said, “Tobi is key to supporting and executing Shopify’s strategic vision and this proposal ensures his interests are aligned with long-term shareholder value creation.”
Stock Prediction
Wall Street analysts are cautiously optimistic about the SHOP stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 13 Buys versus 13 Holds. The average Shopify price target of $982.44 implies 59.1% upside potential to current levels.
Stock Investors
TipRanks’ Stock Investors tool shows that investor sentiment is currently Very Positive on Shopify, with 3.5% of portfolios tracked by TipRanks increasing their exposure to SHOP stock over the past 30 days.
Concluding Thoughts
Shopify has all the right ingredients to make for a good long-term investment. With the proposed changes to the governance and share structure, the company is ensuring that its actions are aligned with the best interests of all stakeholders.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Nio Bows to Supply Issues & Inflation
Why Did Nvidia Fall 4.5% on Friday?
JetBlue Trims Flight Schedules | https://www.tipranks.com/news/shopify-woos-investors-with-stock-split/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:46Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/shopify-woos-investors-with-stock-split/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), is witnessing dimming auto sales in the world’s largest auto market. The resurgence of the Omicron variant in China has led to nationwide restrictions and shutdowns, which are shrinking auto sales.
The news sent TSLA stock down 4.8% to close at $975.93 on April 11. Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory has been shut since March 28, 2022, due to the lockdowns, which have impacted the EV maker’s sales in the quarter.
Sales in China
According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), auto sales for March marked their first decline in the year, falling 11.7% year-over-year to 2.23 million autos. In February, China’s overall sales increased by 18.7% compared to the year-ago period.
Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of CAAM, said, “The recent pandemic situation has been quite severe, and so the figures in March were not too good, and we currently do not see much improvement in April.”
As per stats, the Tesla China factory produced 55,462 autos in March, about 154 more than those produced in February. However, the number was 18.6% lower than the January production of 68,117 autos.
Notably, Tesla China sold 65,814 autos in March, out of which only 60 autos were exported. The Shanghai Gigafactory is a major export hub for Tesla’s EVs to Europe and Asia. Although the impact of the factory closure was not felt in March, it could hurt Tesla’s April production and sales numbers to a greater extent as there is no near-term visibility of when they could resume production.
In early April, Tesla posted upbeat Q1 deliveries and said that the company was on track to achieve a record one million EV deliveries in 2022. TSLA stock has lost 18.47% year-to-date and gained a little more than 39% over the past year.
Bowing to the supply chain pressures amid the lockdowns, other auto manufacturers in China, like Nio (NIO) shut down operations recently.
Analysts’ Take
Recently, Tesla and Elon Musk inaugurated the much awaited Austin Gigafactory, which is set to take over Fremont as the primary location for Tesla’s operations. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives believes the production at both Austin and Berlin Gigafactory will shake up the dust off the production issues at Tesla.
Commenting on his stance, Ives said, “We believe by the end of 2022 Tesla will have the run rate capacity for overall ~2 million units annually from roughly 1 million today. While the China zero Covid policy is causing shutdowns in Shanghai for Tesla (and others) and remains a worrying trend if it continues, seeing the forest through the trees with Austin and Berlin now live and ramping, Musk & Co will continue to flex its distribution muscles in the EV landscape while many other automakers struggle to get things off the ground.”
Ives maintained a Buy rating on the TSLA stock with a price target of $1,400, which implies 43.5% upside potential to current levels.
The other analysts on the Street are cautiously optimistic about the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 15 Buys, five Holds, and six Sells. The average Tesla price target of $1,005.64 implies 3% upside potential to current levels.
Website Traffic
TipRanks’ Website Traffic tool, which uses data from SEMrush Holdings (SEMR), the world’s biggest website usage monitoring service, offers insight into TSLA’s performance.
Notably, in March, Tesla website traffic recorded a 69.63% year-over-year increase in monthly visits. However, year-to-date website traffic growth decreased by 23.01% compared to the same period last year.
Ending Thoughts
Although the current pandemic-related production halts in China are affecting production and sales for Tesla, the company’s opening of the Austin and Berlin factories is a highly encouraging event for its future performance. Moreover, the rising fuel prices and enhanced carbon footprint awareness coupled with inflation are driving customers towards the EV shift, with Tesla being the major benefactor. All in all, it is a good time to buy and hold Tesla shares for a long time on the horizon.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Shopify Woos Investors With Stock Split
Nio Bows to Supply Issues & Inflation
JetBlue Stock Expects Gains Despite Trimmed Flight Schedules | https://www.tipranks.com/news/tesla-china-sees-trouble-over-lockdowns/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:52Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/tesla-china-sees-trouble-over-lockdowns/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TipRanks has compiled a list of Tuesday’s biggest pre-market stock movements.
Today’s stock market is dominated by mixed market sentiment on company-specific news, macro factors, and other variables. Using TipRanks’ new Top Stock Gainers/Losers page, we’ve identified the top five pre-market stock movers, as detailed below.
5 Biggest Movers
Chinese branded e-vapor company RLX Technology Inc. (RLX) was the biggest gainer in pre-market trading, surging around 13% at the time of writing. It seems that recent changes in the company’s board committee for complying with the relevant New York Stock Exchange’s listing requirements had driven investor optimism.
Meanwhile, Victoria’s Secret & Co. (VSCO) was the biggest laggard in pre-market trading, declining around 6.2% at last watch. There is no company-specific news explaining the sell-off The company is a specialty retailer of lingerie, pajamas, and beauty products with prestige fragrances and body care.
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ACAD) gained 5.2% in pre-market trading at the time of writing. The upward movement followed a 9.15% drop in price at Monday’s close. It seems that the revelation of the selling of 1,025 shares of the company’s stock by an insider has raised investors’ anxiety.
CarMax, Inc. (KMX) declined 4.24% in pre-market trading at last glance. Negative sentiment followed the company’s disappointing fourth-quarter Fiscal 2022 earnings despite revenue beat. CarMax reported Q4 EPS of $0.98, much below the consensus estimate of $1.33. Meanwhile, revenue for the quarter stood at $7.7 billion, compared with analysts’ expectations of $7.67 billion.
Ermeneglido Zegna N.V. (ZGN) surged almost 6.5% in the pre-market session at the time of writing. The purveyor of luxury fashion and accessories has no fundamental news to explain the trading frenzy.
Continue to watch this space for possible volatility upon the market opens. Tomorrow, we’ll have another up-to-date piece on stock Pre-Market Movers…
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/these-stocks-are-the-biggest-pre-market-movers-on-tuesday-12/ | 2022-04-12T14:11:58Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/these-stocks-are-the-biggest-pre-market-movers-on-tuesday-12/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shares of Germany’s top two lenders fell sharply in Frankfurt on Tuesday morning after Morgan Stanley notified investors on Monday of an undisclosed investor dumping the stocks.
At the close of U.S. trade on Monday, Deutsche Bank (DB) ended the day 6.4% lower at $11.99, while Commerzbank (CRZBY) had lost 3.14% to close at $7.26.
By mid-morning on Tuesday, Deutsche Bank had dropped almost 10%, while Commerzbank was trading over 8% lower in Frankfurt.
According to a note announcing the sale, 116 million Deutsche Bank shares and 72.5 million Commerzbank shares amounting to more than 5% of both companies were put up for sale, resulting in proceeds of 1.75 billion euros ($1.9 billion) for the investor.
Speculation over who the undisclosed seller could be has led investors to Capital Group of Los Angeles, however, a spokesperson for the firm declined to comment.
Capital Group holds sizeable stakes in both companies, having increased its holdings in Deutsche Bank in November 2021, and in Commerzbank in October 2020, to more than 5%.
U.S. private equity firm Cerberus has also recently been offloading its holdings in the two German lenders as both banks attempt to implement turnaround strategies.
Both Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank assured investors that they are confident their strategies moving forward would prove effective in challenging times.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Apple Stock Expected to Rise on After Shifting Manufacturing to India
Mercedes-Benz Updates Carbon Neutral Plan
Shopify Woos Investors With Stock Split | https://www.tipranks.com/news/undisclosed-investor-sells-more-than-5-stake-in-germanys-two-biggest-lenders-report/ | 2022-04-12T14:12:05Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/undisclosed-investor-sells-more-than-5-stake-in-germanys-two-biggest-lenders-report/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shares of Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGLE) gained almost 28% during the extended trading session on April 11. AGLE shares rose after the clinical-stage biotechnology company revealed additional data from the PEACE Phase 3 study related to the study of pegzilarginase for the treatment of the rare, inherited and progressive disease Arginase 1 Deficiency (ARG1-D).
Aeglea BioTherapeutics designs and develops human enzyme therapeutics for the treatment of patients with rare metabolic diseases with limited treatment options.
Prior Approvals
Pegzilarginase, the company’s lead product candidate, is a recombinant human Arginase 1 enzyme. It is in the Phase III PEACE trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy for the treatment of Arginase 1 deficiency. So far, pegzilarginase has received both “Rare Pediatric Disease” and “Breakthrough Therapy” designations.
Arginase 1 Deficiency (ARG1-D) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder marked by high levels of arginine, a building block of protein. Patients suffering from ARG1-D develop severe spasticity-related mobility limitations, seizures, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and early mortality.
Earlier, in December 2021, Aeglea announced positive topline data from its PEACE Phase 3 clinical trial for pegzilarginase in patients with Arginase 1 Deficiency. The data revealed that the primary endpoint was met and there was a significant 76.7% reduction in mean plasma arginine in pegzilarginase-treated patients versus placebo.
Supporting Data
The currently-disclosed positive data was disclosed during a poster presentation at the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (SIMD) Annual Meeting held in Orlando.
In the individual patient-based outcome analysis, 11 patients (65%) treated with pegzilarginase reached or exceeded prespecified response criteria for at least one mobility assessment versus four patients (44%) that were on placebo.
Further, eight patients (47%) met or exceeded prespecified clinical response criteria for at least two of the mobility outcomes, in comparison to no patients receiving placebo.
CEO Comments
Aeglea CEO, Anthony G. Quinn, commented, “Our clinical development program for pegzilarginase has provided the first quantitative insights into the disease burden of ARG1-D and sheds new light on both the severity of the disease and the devastating effect of uncontrolled arginine levels in these patients.”
He further added, “The data from PEACE show the ability of pegzilarginase to markedly improve arginine control and its impact on a broad range of disease-related abnormalities. We are pleased with these results and believe pegzilarginase has the potential to change the lives of the patients and families living with ARG1-D.”
Wall Street’s Take
Turning to Wall Street, the analyst consensus is also optimistic about Aeglea Biotherapeutics, with a Strong Buy rating based on six unanimous Buys. The average Aeglea Biotherapeutics price target of $13.20 indicates an upside potential of a whopping 443.21%.
Investors Weigh In
TipRanks’ Stock Investors tool shows that investors currently have a Very Positive stance on Aeglea Biotherapeutics, with 7.1% of investors increasing their exposure to AGLE stock over the past 30 days.
Take Away
Pegzilarginase, the company’s lead product candidate, has achieved promising Phase 3 data and looks like it is on its way to gaining complete approval. This could be a huge catalyst for the stock making it a multi-bagger stock with significant returns to investors.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Moderna Recalls 764,900 COVID-19 Doses in Europe
JetBlue Trims Flight Schedules
Novavax Receives Authorization to Inject COVID-19 Vaccine in Thailand | https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-did-aeglea-biotherapeutics-shares-gain-28/ | 2022-04-12T14:12:17Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-did-aeglea-biotherapeutics-shares-gain-28/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SailPoint Technologies Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SAIL) has agreed to combine its business with a private-equity firm, Thoma Bravo, in a $6.9-billion cash transaction. The news lifted the shares of SailPoint to its 52-week high of $64.39 on Monday. It closed the trading session at $64.05.
While the board of directors has given its green light to the deal, the company is yet to bag shareholders’ approval. Contingent upon this approval and fulfillment of other customary conditions, the takeover of SailPoint by Thoma Bravo is expected to conclude in the second half of 2022.
The Austin, TX-based company has expertise in providing enterprise identity security solutions. Its customer base, including financial institutions and system integrators, is spread across the Middle East, the United States, and other countries.
Rationale of the Transaction
As noted, SailPoint’s shareholders will receive cash of $65.25 for every share held by them. This compensation values SailPoint at a 48% premium over the volume-weighted average closing price for the past three months.
Upon closing of the transaction, SailPoint will cease trading on the NYSE and will operate as a private company. Its headquarters will continue to be in Austin-TX.
The CEO and Founder of SailPoint, Mark McClain, believe that the company’s takeover by Thoma Bravo will yield cash benefits immediately for shareholders as well as help boost the value of their holdings.
He opines that the takeover will put SailPoint on a “long-term growth trajectory with greater flexibility and effectiveness” as well as “boost customer experience, enlarge market presence, and accelerate innovation in identity security.”
Wall Street’s Take
Following the announcement, Joshua Tilton of Wolfe Research downgraded the rating on SailPoint to Hold from Buy. The analyst, however, kept the price target intact at $65 (1.48% upside potential).
In addition to the above downgrade, the TipRanks data reveals that four other analysts lowered their ratings on SailPoint from Buy to Neutral on Monday.
The only exception was Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives, who maintained a Buy rating on the stock on Monday with a price target of $60 (6.32% downside potential).
Overall, the Street has a Moderate Buy consensus rating on SailPoint based on five Buys, six Holds, and one Sell. SailPoint’s average price forecast of $59.39 suggests 7.28% downside potential from current levels. Over the past year, shares of SailPoint have gained 31.1%.
Risk Analysis
Per the TipRanks Risk Factors tool, SAIL is at risk mainly from three factors: Finance & Corporate, Tech & Innovation, and Ability to Sell. While the Finance & Corporate risk category contributes 13 risks to the total 35 risks identified for the stock, Tech & Innovation and Ability to Sell account for eight and seven risks, respectively.
Conclusion
Mark McClain is optimistic about the growth prospects of SailPoint as “Identity security is core to cyber security and businesses have realized that to fuel business growth and success, they must start with identity as the foundation for secure business transformation.”
Further, the takeover is expected to unlock more values and innovation capabilities for the company.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
AMD: What Does the Pensando Acquisition Mean for the Stock? Wells Fargo Weighs In
KKR Explores Growth Opportunity amid Supply Chain Issues
Stellantis Exits Non-Strategic Business | https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-did-sailpoint-touch-52-week-high-on-monday/ | 2022-04-12T14:12:23Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-did-sailpoint-touch-52-week-high-on-monday/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Video communications technology company Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) recently revealed the launch of new features exclusively for the education sector at the CoSN2022 national conference.
Following the news, shares of the company declined 1.7% on Monday. The stock, however, pared its losses slightly to close at $109.74 in the extended trading session.
The new offerings include Virtual Background & Blur for Chromebooks, enhancements to Breakout Rooms, and the ability to send audio and video messages to Zoom chat.
Management Commentary
The Global Education Strategy Lead at Zoom, Johann Zimmern, said, “We work closely with our global K-12 and higher education customers, taking their requests into account and involving them in feature development. As a direct result of this, Zoom developed these exciting new features for education.”
Stock Rating
Last month, BNP Paribas analyst Stefan Slowinski initiated coverage on the stock with a Hold rating and a price target of $110, which implies that the stock is fairly valued at current levels.
The Wall Street community is cautiously optimistic about the stock and has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 13 Buys and 14 Holds. Zoom’s average price forecast of $166.33 implies that the stock has upside potential of 52.5% from current levels. Shares have declined 66.1% over the past year.
Website Traffic
TipRanks’ Website Traffic Tool, which uses data from SEMrush Holdings (SEMR), the world’s biggest website usage monitoring service, offers insight into Zoom’s performance this quarter.
According to the tool, the Zoom website recorded a 1.82% monthly rise in global visits in March, compared to the same period last year. However, the footfall on the company’s website has declined 57.15% year-to-date, compared to the previous year.
Key Takeaway
Zoom’s initiative to launch specific features after getting insightful feedback from the education sector is expected to make it the pre-eminent choice of educators and students for their virtual academic needs.
Discover new investment ideas with data you can trust.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure
Related News:
Moderna Recalls 764,900 COVID-19 Doses in Europe
JetBlue Trims Flight Schedules
Goldman Strengthens Asset Management Business | https://www.tipranks.com/news/zoom-zooms-in-on-virtual-academic-needs/ | 2022-04-12T14:12:29Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/zoom-zooms-in-on-virtual-academic-needs/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It wasn't all sunshine and smizes on America's Next Top Model. According to an exposé from Insider published on Monday, the environment fostered by Top Model host and executive producer Tyra Banks and her fellow producers was, in the words of one contestant, tantamount to “psychological warfare.”
The Insider story, written by Kate Taylor, recounted that Banks and fellow producers, including ANTM creator Ken Mok, exploited contestants emotionally and physically on the extremely popular reality competition series—which ran for 24 seasons from 2003 to 2018. The abuse, as reported by Insider, included but was not limited to producers bringing up contestants’ past traumas in order to play on their emotions, as well as intentionally creating dangerous work environments to add to the drama. One contestant, season seven's Eugenia Washington, recalls walking a runway that consisted of a path of wooden planks seesawing in a pool while wearing 6-inch heels, a pencil skirt, and two corsets. According to the story, Washington fell and cracked her knee to avoid falling into the water. Sixteen years later, she said she still has visible scars from the incident.
"I felt like my life was being put on the line for ratings," Washington told Insider. Contestants on ANTM signed contracts saying that the show was not responsible for any injuries sustained while on the program.
The Insider story goes on to recount more horror stories about injuries models incurred while on the show, many of which happened while undergoing “Ty-Overs”—mandatory makeovers orchestrated by Banks—that sometimes left contestants with welts, burns, and bald spots. One contestant, season 12's Aminat Ayinde, made her stylist aware that she was allergic to relaxers, salon-grade chemicals used to straighten curly hair; she was forced to continue with the makeover anyway. “This is what Tyra wants—this is how we have to do it,” Ayinde recalled the stylist saying. After she came in third place, Ayinde says she removed her extensions and found a 2-inch bald spot. She said it took three years for her hair to grow back.
"This is when I understood: Tyra doesn't give a fuck," Ayinde told Insider. "The whole thing really left the most disgusting taste in my mouth," Ayinde said. "And honestly, I lost all respect [for Banks]."
Taylor's Insider story paints Banks as a deeply engaged host and executive producer who had a 25% stake in America's Next Top Model and often worked overtime to get a final product that was up to her standards. "She wanted to be the next Oprah," recalled one producer who worked on America's Next Top Model in its early years.
But, per Insider's story, Banks's dedication to the show was often to the detriment of its contestants. Banks obsession with the show led to increasingly dangerous and outlandish challenges, Insider posits, noting that producers said that the supermodel “abhorred repetition” and was constantly trying to outdo the previous season. In an anecdote from ANTM creative director Andrew Patterson, Banks allegedly struck a deal with the Greek tourism board to take the contestants to Crete and have them pose in a “Greek Salad” inspired photo shoot covered in oil. “They looked pretty good," Patterson recalled. "Except I think we used oil, and the girls ended up frying a little in the sun."
Renewed scrutiny of the series began in the pandemic and erupted when a viral tweet from former contestant Sarah Hartshorne revealed that contestants received only a daily per diem of $40 dollars and were not paid to appear on the program and did not receive any residuals. Before Harstshorne's tweet, Banks tweeted a blanket apology for what transpired on America's Next Top Model in May 2020. “Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you,” Banks tweeted. “Looking back, those were some really off choices.” | https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/the-psychological-warfare-behind-the-scenes-of-americas-next-top-model | 2022-04-12T14:13:34Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/the-psychological-warfare-behind-the-scenes-of-americas-next-top-model | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga are back on Broadway.
On Tuesday, performances of Macbeth will resume after positive COVID-19 cases within the company, including Craig’s, forced several cancellations.
In an exclusive first look at the Sam Gold–directed production, Craig and Negga sit at the forefront of a haunting scene. As Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the doomed couple at the center of Shakespeare’s dark tale clasp hands, holding tight to each other while looking in different directions. Emerging from shadows behind them, their costars (and coconspirators) look on and out toward the audience.
The cast also features Phillip James Brannon as Ross, Grantham Coleman as Macduff, Asia Kate Dillon as Malcolm, Maria Dizzia as Lady Macduff, Amber Gray as Banquo, Emeka Guindo as Fleance, Paul Lazar as Duncan, Bobbi MacKenzie as Macduff’s child, Michael Patrick Thornton as Lennox, and Danny Wolohan as Seyton. The ensemble also includes Che Ayende, Eboni Flowers, and Peter Smith.
Negga, who earned a BAFTA nomination for her role in Passing, makes her Broadway debut in the 15-week engagement.
Macbeth officially opens at the Longacre Theatre on Thursday, April 28.
— See All the Red-Carpet Fashion From the 2022 Oscars
— Inside Vanity Fair’s Oscar After-Party
— The Life and Confessions of Mob Chef David Ruggerio
— The West’s Fairy-Tale Fetishization of Russia
— Prince Andrew’s First Public Appearance With the Queen
— All of the Looks From the Vanity Fair Oscar Party
— Inside the Frenzied World of Rare Watches and the Rich People Who Love Them
— Mark Seliger’s Vanity Fair Oscar Party Portraits
— 15 Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums for Plump, Hydrated Skin
— From the Archive: Sarma Melngailis, the Runaway Vegan
— Sign up for “The Buyline” to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter. | https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/04/macbeth-on-broadway-see-daniel-craig-and-ruth-negga-take-the-stage | 2022-04-12T14:13:35Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/04/macbeth-on-broadway-see-daniel-craig-and-ruth-negga-take-the-stage | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Brooklyn subway shooting: Multiple people shot
A suspect shot multiple people Tuesday morning in a Brooklyn subway station, where New York City Fire Department said first responders found undetonated explosive devices, AP reports.
The big picture: The extent of the victims' injuries and information on the suspect was unknown.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for details. | https://www.axios.com/brooklyn-subway-station-new-york-shooting-a1f12760-c6a2-44a4-a878-3368579e57a0.html | 2022-04-12T14:16:36Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/brooklyn-subway-station-new-york-shooting-a1f12760-c6a2-44a4-a878-3368579e57a0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Where the energy link to well-being starts fraying
Human well-being is strongly tethered to energy access, but a new study finds high-consuming countries could scale back consumption without sacrificing health and happiness.
Driving the news: The Stanford-led paper in Ecosphere analyzes energy use in 140 nations from 1971-2018 against nine metrics like life expectancy, infant mortality, happiness, economic performance and more.
What they found: Increased use and well-being move in tandem. But that correlation ends at consumption levels far below the average in the United States and other wealthy nations.
The big picture: Billions of people need more energy access to boost well-being. Roughly 1.2 billion lack electricity access and 2.7 billion use dangerous, polluting stoves.
"That billions of other people could in principle reduce energy use with little or no loss in health, happiness, or other outcomes is more surprising, reducing the need for some additional energy infrastructure and increasing global equity," it states.
Zoom in: Global average per-capita energy use is 79 gigajoules (GJ) annually. Dozens of countries are below this amount.
Performance under almost all metrics improves steeply with greater access but plateaus below that level. The U.S. averages 284 GJ annually per capita, per a Stanford summary.
The bottom line: "If distributed equitably, today’s average global energy consumption of 79 GJ person could, in principle, allow everyone on Earth to realize 95% or more of maximum performance across all metrics." | https://www.axios.com/energy-well-being-consumption-55413068-5192-4aae-b172-cd19ad3fc117.html | 2022-04-12T14:16:43Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/energy-well-being-consumption-55413068-5192-4aae-b172-cd19ad3fc117.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Highly-rated teenage midfielders George Wilkinson and Luke Baptiste have both put pen to paper on professional deals at Dover Athletic and boss Andy Hessenthaler, “they have not looked out of place with senior players and deserve to be involved for the next couple of years”.
Both 18-year-olds made their senior debuts as second-half substitutes in the FA Trophy defeat against Bromley at Crabble last December with Wilkinson now having made 15 National League appearances including Wrexham away where he scored a wonder goal in a 6-5 defeat.
Baptiste got his first start away at FC Halifax Town last month but was sent off in the club’s 1-0 home defeat to Maidenhead United on Saturday – a decision Hessenthaler branded as “ludicrous”.
Hessenthaler enthused: “They deserve it. They have come into the squad and done really well and not looked out of place with senior players. The chairman has obviously seen them as well and he has been really pleased with both of them.
“The one thing I have always done at any clubs I’ve been at is to make sure I’ve been quite close to the academy and it’s important we understand what is coming through. That’s why I speak to Mike Sandmann (academy manager) a lot of the time and watch some of the games.
“Those two players have stepped up because of the circumstances we have been in [part-time, reduced budget] but we would still be monitoring what they are doing if the circumstances were different.
“It is important we are close to the youth set-up. Another player is Harrison Byford who made his first start for the club on Saturday and also did really well.
“These boys have adapted. George [Wilkinson] has only just turned 18 last week so to get that amount of games under his belt at that young age is great. As a manager, when you are identifying players, you are almost looking at their CVs, and someone straight away will look at George’s CV and say, ‘he’s played a number of games in the National League’ and managers, coaches and scouts all know what this league is about. So he’s building a nice little CV for himself and it’s great for the club.
“We need a bit of protection [player on contract] as we don’t get much at our level. We are getting that protection but we certainly wouldn’t make it hard for any young player if a club came in for him. Dover wouldn’t stand in a young player’s way.”
Although nothing has been confirmed as yet about next season, Hessenthaler is still formulating a plan for the benefit of the club.
“In my mind, without any concrete answers at the moment, there is a thought process going on,” he revealed. “We have to sit down soon and say, ‘this is the way forward, this is what we need’. There’s a lot to do and pre-season needs to be planned too.
“We also need to watch a few National League South games and understand the level of clubs we will be playing against. There’s some good teams in there who are financially strong as well.
“Maidstone are looking like they are going to win the league but whatever happens only two can go up so that leaves a number of strong teams in there. We want to be challenging so I will going to a couple of games, and maybe a play-off game or two.”
Another frustrating day on Saturday for Dover resulted in their 29th defeat with eight to play. They travel to Boreham Wood on Friday (April 15), then take on Woking at home on Monday (April 18).
“As much as it’s frustrating and difficult I’m still enjoying watching the team play and they are still having a go,” said Hessenthaler.
“They haven’t chucked in the towel and the teams we’ve got to play will all be aware of that.
“We go to Boreham Wood and they won’t really want to play us because of the form they are in [five defeats and three draws in last eight] and they will know we will have a young team who will come and have a go.” | https://www.kentlive.news/sport/football/football-news/exciting-dover-athletic-duo-sign-6942797 | 2022-04-12T14:17:55Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/sport/football/football-news/exciting-dover-athletic-duo-sign-6942797 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Career Retrospective
Photos: A look back at the top milestones from Kim Clijsters' career
Four-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters on Tuesday announced her retirement from professional tennis. She was the No.1-ranked player for 20 weeks during her career.
Latest News
-
-
Insider Wrap: Persistence rewarded in Charleston, Bogota
WTA Insider -
Kindness Wins and Madison Keys award Medal of Kindness to April Gift
Kindness Wins -
Legends head south for Charleston anniversary
WTA Legends -
Champions Corner: Bencic gets back on track in Charleston
WTA Insider -
Bencic holds off Jabeur in Charleston, wins sixth career title
2022 Charleston | https://www.wtatennis.com/photos/2566944/photos-a-look-back-at-the-top-milestones-from-kim-clijsters-career | 2022-04-12T14:22:16Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/photos/2566944/photos-a-look-back-at-the-top-milestones-from-kim-clijsters-career | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ODESSA, Mich. — Tony is a 6-month-old pup looking for a forever home to lounge around in.
Tony is already crate trained and gets along with dogs, cats and kids!
He’s one of the last of his litter waiting to find a family to adopt him.
Tony is a 50 lbs. mixed breed.
Autumn with Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary says Tony is the “perfect puppy.”
He loves going for walks and car rides.
For more information about Tony, click here. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/pet-adoption-tuesday-tony | 2022-04-12T14:25:29Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/pet-adoption-tuesday-tony | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICAGO — Supply chain issues coupled with a massive recall of CPAP devices by one of the world’s largest manufacturers have left many people with sleep apnea looking for alternatives.
For 80-year-old retiree Dan Sheehan, dealing with sleep apnea has meant countless restless nights.
“I will 71 — times an hour — I quit breathing, which is high,” said Sheehan.
That’s more than once a minute. He tried a CPAP machine for about five years.
“In two hours, my mouth would be not dry but stuck together and I had the humidity thing on danger,” he said.
It didn’t work for his wife Darlene either.
“The mask is all over the place. You know, he's making all kinds of noises. I actually did move out of our bedroom,” she said. “We all had to sleep.”
Sleep-disordered breathing is extremely common, affecting about a billion people globally.
It sometimes includes snoring but obstructive sleep apnea, which causes the airways to become blocked, is the most serious.
One recent study found that obstructive sleep apnea increases a person's risk of developing cardiovascular conditions including hypertension, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. And they’re twice as likely to experience sudden death compared to people who don’t have it.
“It had gotten a little worse, a little worse until I said, ‘You know, you got to tell the doctor this is what's going on,’” said Darlene Sheehan.
Dan’s doctor recommended he’d be a good candidate for an innovative treatment using a device surgically implanted in the chest known as the Inspire Sleep Apnea device.
“It's a safe surgery, but it's a complicated one to do. It takes on average about two hours to perform. Patients, fortunately, can go home the same day,” said Dr. Phillip Losavio, head of sleep surgery at Rush University Medical Center.
The patient can control the implanted device using a remote control.
When the muscles and soft tissues of the throat relax, they block the airway. That’s when the matchbox-sized regulator delivers mild neural stimulation.
“What the device is doing is it's trying to prevent those muscles from collapsing on each other and preventing that decrease in airflow from occurring,” said Losavio.
It’s not dissimilar from having a pacemaker. Dan Sheehan has both.
“Can you put two generators in one chest? I don't want to light up like Frankenstein, you know. So that cleared with the heart surgeon,” said Sheehan.
His wife Darlene said Dan now wakes up happier and more relaxed each morning.
“No more dry mouth, no more cleaning the machine,” she said. “He's not much of a cleaner anyway.”
Studies have found the device to be at least 70% effective and it’s now offered in more than 500 medical centers around the country.
And while it’s not for everyone, Dan Sheehan says with the implant, he’s never slept better.
“I get a little towel I’m drooling now. So, I went full circle. For me, it's worked great.” | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/more-people-seeking-sleep-apnea-treatment-implant | 2022-04-12T14:25:42Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/more-people-seeking-sleep-apnea-treatment-implant | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement sources say five people were shot Tuesday at a subway station in Brooklyn, New York.
Fire personnel responding to reports of smoke at the 36th Street station in Sunset Park found multiple people shot and unexploded devices.
The fire department said 13 people were injured in the incident.
A photo from the scene showed people tending to bloodied passengers lying on the floor of the station.
According to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation, preliminary information indicated a suspect was wearing a construction vest and a gas mask.
Trains servicing that station were delayed during the morning commute.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been briefed on the situation.
"First responders are on the scene and we will work with & to provide updates as the investigation continues," Hochul tweeted. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/multiple-people-shot-at-new-york-city-subway-station | 2022-04-12T14:25:48Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/multiple-people-shot-at-new-york-city-subway-station | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BALANIER VERS À PICCACS C’etaient là de véritabillement\nCeleon was formed in mid-80. I remember meeting Ade F. some 17 year age after and playing this taper-ish metal which has since being lost until recent and it blew both my ears down after what they could consider normal listening at one go!! This record is their first. For the curious who doesn’t what Celesne A new study shows how your personality can affect your health throughout your life.
People who worried more, lacked self-discipline or were introverted were more likely to develop cognitive decline.
They were also more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
But there is something you can do about it.
Being socially engaged can buy you an extra year without Dementia.
If you stay organized and goal-oriented, you can get two years of healthy cognitive function.
The findings were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/study-your-personality-can-affect-how-your-brain-ages | 2022-04-12T14:26:00Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/study-your-personality-can-affect-how-your-brain-ages | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.